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Are We Programmed for Political Polarization?
July, 2005
By Donna Zajonc ©2005

Americans are asking "How did we become so politically polarized? Are politicians programmed to always fight?"

In a recent study now known as the "hot sauce study" psychologists got an insight into how far people would go to hurt others who think differently from themselves. It gives us a glimpse of why some groups are perpetuating this era of political polarization.

Psychologist Tom Pyszczynski, from the University of Colorado, devised a 1998 study of American college students that measured their reaction when they were reminded of their own death. The team of psychologists tested the relationship between the student's awareness of their own mortality and the degree to which they became hostile toward others who appear to have different world views.

The study included one group of college Republicans and another group of college Democrats. Republican students were responsible for dishing out "blazingly hot, hot sauce" to the Democrats and vice versa.

Just before giving out the hot sauce, one group of students were asked to read an essay reminding them of the inevitability of their death. The other group of students did not read the essay and were not reminded of their death before administrating the hot sauce.

The results were dramatic. Students who had not been reminded of their own death before they had to make a decision, doled out an average of 11.86 grams of hot sauce to their political opponents. Those who were required to read the death essay and were reminded of their own mortality loaded their political opponents with a huge dose of 26.31 grams of sauce!

This "hot sauce study," along with over 250 studies from various other research teams have tested the relationship between our cognitive choices and hostility toward those who have different world views. Together the collective studies have helped Pyszczynski and his team devise what is now known as the Terrorist Management Theory.

After 9/11, Americans suddenly became aware of the random acts of violence facing our nation. We are vividly reminded of death everyday as we view the nightly news and hear the latest casualty figures from all around the globe.

These studies demonstrate that, when the possibility of death is within our awareness, we may become aggressive - even abusive - towards those who see life differently than we do.

Just as the political parties and elected elite believe they will face political death (aka lose the next election) they have chosen to go the path of partisan warfare believing it will ensure political survival while the rest of us watch in a state of political depression.

Could it be that some political strategists and partisan power brokers choose to keep death and fear in the forefront of our national conversation in order to dole out an extra helping of hot sauce to their political foes? Are certain media giants using these same tactics to keep their loyal audience?

The dilemma is that terrorist acts and violence are real and remind us of our death everyday. The Republican Party chose this as their primary theme during the past election cycle.

The Democrats tend to speak of death in terms of global warming and environmental destruction, which reminds us that our survival and the earth's survival may be in doubt. When both parties focus on fear and annihilation, our citizens are kept in a state of national alarm and heightened anxiety.

Keeping the politics of death and destruction in the forefront of our national political debate is at the root of our political polarization---each party fighting for their own survival while foisting a shadow of fear and hopelessness upon Americans.

What is even more destructive is how interests groups have adopted these tactics, as though they are learned psychologists pulling the strings of citizen puppets. It is no wonder that the average citizen now feels the sickly affects of the political polarization put forth by the parties.

Political strategists are earning their big bucks by applying these psychological insights to their politically spun messages in order to motivate their constituencies. Is this the reason why our political conversation is dominated by hot sauce being thrown around as though we live in an elementary school cafeteria?

It is the political and media elite who are intentionally programming the national debate that causes fellow American's to demonize those who do not agree with them. Rather than "United We Stand" some are taking delight in "Divided We Fall" tactics.

It is no surprise that so many citizens have disengaged from politics and become political depressed. We are protecting our psyche, hoping and praying for new elected and party leaders who understand our current culture of hot sauce politics and choose not to engage in the food fight.

We do not have to stay stuck in the polarizing politics that our parties and media are dishing out. There is scientific research that gives us hope for survival!

My next newsletter will focus on the new studies that demonstrate we are hard-- wired to survive through compassion, collaboration and love rather than demonizing and killing one another. Most Americans know that we have a greater chance of survival and success, both individually and collectively if we figure out how to work together instead of against one another.

Stay tuned!

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Donna Zajonc is a Political Leadership Coach, a former three-term Oregon Legislator and was her party's nominee for Secretary of State. She has also managed several campaigns including a highly visible governor's campaign. Donna challenges her clients to prepare for public office with the same rigor that all professionals seek.