The challenging task of demonstrating motivated tribalism: Review of Bernstein et al 2023

Abstract

The contribution of Bernstein et al reports a series of studies demonstrating partisan bias: the tendency to evaluate otherwise identical information more favorably when it supports one’s political beliefs or allegiances than when it challenges those beliefs or allegiances. The write-up is clear and concise, and the studies are interesting with a number of nice empirical touches, but the novelty and quality of the data need to be considered, especially the difficulty of ruling out rational counter explanations for data ostensibly showing motivated partisan bias.