Simulating political polarization as a function of uncertain inference and signaling of moral values

Julie M. E.  Pedersen; Adam Moore

Simulating political polarization as a function of uncertain inference and signaling of moral values

Julie M. E. Pedersen, Adam Moore

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract / Description of output

Political polarization is driven by many factors, but the role of moral values as both a signal of political identity and a source of internal conflict is understudied. We report an agent-based computational model of polarization that fills this gap. Agents seek to differentiate in- and outgroup neighbors with a slight preference for the former. However, they must do so by inferring neighbors’ identities from visible but transient moral signals. Moreover, agents experience conflicts within their own values, and if difficult to resolve internally, can copy the values of their ingroup or disengage (i.e., act immorally). Results show that liberals form larger, more homogeneous clusters, are happier, and experience less moral conflict than conservatives. Conservatives experience more and higher levels of conflict and morally disengage significantly more often than liberals.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society
Editors	Micah Goldwater, Florencia Anggoro, Brett Hayes, Desmond Ong
Publisher	eScholarship University of California
Pages	865-872
Volume	45
Publication status	Published - 29 Jul 2023
Event	45th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society: Cognition in Context - ICC Sydney, Sydney, Australia Duration: 26 Jul 2023 → 29 Jul 2023 https://cognitivesciencesociety.org/cogsci-2023/

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society
Publisher	The Cognitive Science Society
ISSN (Electronic)	1069-7977

Conference

Conference	45th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society
Abbreviated title	CogSci 2023
Country/Territory	Australia
City	Sydney
Period	26/07/23 → 29/07/23
Internet address	https://cognitivesciencesociety.org/cogsci-2023/

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

agent-based model
morality
political polarization
undertain inference

Access to Document

Pedersen&Moore2023SimulatingPoliticalPolarizationFinal published version, 426 KBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY)

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0d143859Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY)

Cite this

Pedersen, J. M. E., & Moore, A. (2023). Simulating political polarization as a function of uncertain inference and signaling of moral values. In M. Goldwater, F. Anggoro, B. Hayes, & D. Ong (Eds.), Proceedings of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society (Vol. 45, pp. 865-872). (Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society). eScholarship University of California. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0d143859

Pedersen, Julie M. E. ; Moore, Adam. / Simulating political polarization as a function of uncertain inference and signaling of moral values. Proceedings of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. editor / Micah Goldwater ; Florencia Anggoro ; Brett Hayes ; Desmond Ong. Vol. 45 eScholarship University of California, 2023. pp. 865-872 (Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society).

@inproceedings{ff6443e85f8d455abe21ab532209f123,

title = "Simulating political polarization as a function of uncertain inference and signaling of moral values",

abstract = "Political polarization is driven by many factors, but the role of moral values as both a signal of political identity and a source of internal conflict is understudied. We report an agent-based computational model of polarization that fills this gap. Agents seek to differentiate in- and outgroup neighbors with a slight preference for the former. However, they must do so by inferring neighbors{\textquoteright} identities from visible but transient moral signals. Moreover, agents experience conflicts within their own values, and if difficult to resolve internally, can copy the values of their ingroup or disengage (i.e., act immorally). Results show that liberals form larger, more homogeneous clusters, are happier, and experience less moral conflict than conservatives. Conservatives experience more and higher levels of conflict and morally disengage significantly more often than liberals.",

keywords = "agent-based model, morality, political polarization, undertain inference",

author = "Pedersen, {Julie M. E.} and Adam Moore",

note = "Acknowledgements: This research was supported by an Undergraduate Vacation Scholarship from the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (VAC011919).; 45th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society : Cognition in Context, CogSci 2023 ; Conference date: 26-07-2023 Through 29-07-2023",

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language = "English",

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series = "Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society",

publisher = "eScholarship University of California",

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editor = "Micah Goldwater and Florencia Anggoro and Brett Hayes and Ong, {Desmond }",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society",

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Pedersen, JME & Moore, A 2023, Simulating political polarization as a function of uncertain inference and signaling of moral values. in M Goldwater, F Anggoro, B Hayes & D Ong (eds), Proceedings of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. vol. 45, Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, eScholarship University of California, pp. 865-872, 45th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 26/07/23. <https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0d143859>

Simulating political polarization as a function of uncertain inference and signaling of moral values. / Pedersen, Julie M. E. ; Moore, Adam.
Proceedings of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. ed. / Micah Goldwater; Florencia Anggoro; Brett Hayes; Desmond Ong. Vol. 45 eScholarship University of California, 2023. p. 865-872 (Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

T1 - Simulating political polarization as a function of uncertain inference and signaling of moral values

AU - Pedersen, Julie M. E.

AU - Moore, Adam

N1 - Acknowledgements: This research was supported by an Undergraduate Vacation Scholarship from the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (VAC011919).

PY - 2023/7/29

Y1 - 2023/7/29

N2 - Political polarization is driven by many factors, but the role of moral values as both a signal of political identity and a source of internal conflict is understudied. We report an agent-based computational model of polarization that fills this gap. Agents seek to differentiate in- and outgroup neighbors with a slight preference for the former. However, they must do so by inferring neighbors’ identities from visible but transient moral signals. Moreover, agents experience conflicts within their own values, and if difficult to resolve internally, can copy the values of their ingroup or disengage (i.e., act immorally). Results show that liberals form larger, more homogeneous clusters, are happier, and experience less moral conflict than conservatives. Conservatives experience more and higher levels of conflict and morally disengage significantly more often than liberals.

AB - Political polarization is driven by many factors, but the role of moral values as both a signal of political identity and a source of internal conflict is understudied. We report an agent-based computational model of polarization that fills this gap. Agents seek to differentiate in- and outgroup neighbors with a slight preference for the former. However, they must do so by inferring neighbors’ identities from visible but transient moral signals. Moreover, agents experience conflicts within their own values, and if difficult to resolve internally, can copy the values of their ingroup or disengage (i.e., act immorally). Results show that liberals form larger, more homogeneous clusters, are happier, and experience less moral conflict than conservatives. Conservatives experience more and higher levels of conflict and morally disengage significantly more often than liberals.

KW - agent-based model

KW - morality

KW - political polarization

KW - undertain inference

M3 - Conference contribution

VL - 45

T3 - Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society

SP - 865

EP - 872

BT - Proceedings of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

A2 - Goldwater, Micah

A2 - Anggoro, Florencia

A2 - Hayes, Brett

A2 - Ong, Desmond

PB - eScholarship University of California

T2 - 45th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society

Y2 - 26 July 2023 through 29 July 2023

ER -

Pedersen JME, Moore A. Simulating political polarization as a function of uncertain inference and signaling of moral values. In Goldwater M, Anggoro F, Hayes B, Ong D, editors, Proceedings of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. Vol. 45. eScholarship University of California. 2023. p. 865-872. (Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society).

Simulating political polarization as a function of uncertain inference and signaling of moral values

Abstract / Description of output

Publication series

Conference

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

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Cite this