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Negativity bias fails to predict right-wing ideology and personality in five studies

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This study tested the hypothesis that negativity bias — giving disproportionately more attention and decision weight to negative than to positive stimuli — is associated with right-wing political ideology. Across five distinct studies and multiple measures of ideology, the results provide no consistent evidence that people with right-wing ideology have a stronger negativity bias.

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Fig. 1: Negativity bias, right-wing ideology and personality.

References

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This is a summary of: Johnston, C. D. & Madson, G. J. Negative bias, personality, and political ideology. Nat. Hum. Behav. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01327-5 (2022)

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Negativity bias fails to predict right-wing ideology and personality in five studies. Nat Hum Behav 6, 622–623 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01324-8

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