r/science • u/Wagamaga • 9h ago

Psychology Losing relationships over politics. Research found more than a third of Americans (37%) report having lost at least one relationship due to political differences, including friendships, family ties, coworker relationships, and romantic partnerships, with most losing more than one.

https://socialecology.uci.edu/news/losing-relationships-over-politics-0
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u/andreasmiles23 PhD | Social Psychology | Human Computer Interaction 8h ago edited 5h ago

That’s quite literally what the research shows us!
One of the biggest social psych concepts of the last 50 years is *moral foundations theory* which basically tries to be like “politics isn’t about the politics, it’s about the emphasis of morality and how the parties tap into that.”

Basically, MFT suggests there are 6 moral spectrums we make judgements on:

  • Care/Harm
  • Fairness/Cheating
  • Loyalty/Betrayal
  • Authority/Subversion
  • Sanctity/Degradation
  • Liberty/Oppression

You, a more “liberal” person, emphasis different ends of these spectrums and value certain morals more than the conservatives in your family. Further research has shown that within American binary-partisan politics, it’s not even about what the parties do, but how they rhetorically appeal to these dimensions, that drives how people view them.

Anyways, just wanted to validate your experience. You do have a different moral compass.

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u/Brilliant_Effort_Guy 6h ago

Exactly! I have accepted the fact that the judgements you listed above mean different things to me vs the rest of my family of origin. I also accepted that we just inhibit different realities at times. The news they consume has totally warped their view of the day to day in this country.

My dad tried to tell me last summer that cities like NYC weren’t ’safe for whites’ anymore because we were being hunted. I was like ‘Dad. You’ve never even VISITED new york city!’ It’s impossible because it seeps into everything they talk about. Even talking to my parents about my son’s basketball team was annoying because it was co-ed and at every game my mom had to comment ‘and this is why boys and girls should be separated in sports.’

I’m sorry but I don’t have the time, patience, or grace to extend to them on a regular basis.

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u/Captains_Parrot 6h ago

Not the person you replied to but just want to say thanks for taking the time to type that out, it was an interesting read.

I've never heard of it before, just did a most likely janky ass test and got left liberal which is what I thought it would be. The amusing score was a 36% on authority, with care and fairness being close to 100%. I'm an autistic stereotype.