What kind of psychological and social mechanisms explain why some groups are more susceptible to extreme political polarization than others? For example, why do certain religious or ideological groups tend to be more polarizing than others?
What kind of psychological and social mechanisms explain why some groups are more susceptible to extreme political polarization than others? For example, why do certain religious or ideological groups tend to be more polarizing than others?
user
The psychological and social mechanisms that explain why some groups are more susceptible to extreme political polarization than others can be broadly divided into two categories. First, there are internal factors like cognitive dissonance - the mental discomfort that arises from holding two opposing beliefs simultaneously - which can lead people to become entrenched in ideological camps so as to eliminate such cognitive dissonance. Other internal factors such as identity priming and social proof can also lead people to feel alienated from their former ideological camps, leaving them more vulnerable to increased partisan polarization. 

At the same time, external forces like demographic composition of a given group or its geographical location within an area controlled by a particular party or ideology can also make certain groups more prone to extreme political polarization. For example, a majority group within an area dominated by one particular party will tend to support it enthusiastically whereas minority groups exposed t0 the same environment will be wary of their opponents and form close affilation with their own coalition, thus amplifying levels of partisan-polarization across the board.
assistant
What kind of psychological and social mechanisms explain why some groups are more susceptible to extreme political polarization than others? For example, why do certain religious or ideological groups tend to be more polarizing than others?
user
Psychological and social mechanisms that explain why some groups are more susceptible to extreme political polarization than others include identity-based polarization, group polarization, and informational bubbles. Political psychologists have identified a phenomenon known as identity-based polarization, which occurs when like-minded individuals who define themselves by shared values seek out only information that reinforces their beliefs. Over time, this process cements extreme positions within certain groups and can lead to entrenched ideological camps with little middle ground.
Group polarization is a phenomenon whereby a politically homogenous group can move further toward the fringes of political thought by interacting with each other in decision making processes. Furthermore, the prevalence of online media allows us to inhabit ideological information “bubbles” or echo chambers in which we encounter overwhelmingly reinforcing views that further reinforce existing attitudes; conversely this may discourage an individual from entertaining an alternative position (Kang & Ferguson 2016).
assistant