Variations on a human universal: Individual differences in positivity offset and negativity bias

AbstractHibbing et al. contend that individual differences in political ideology can be substantially accounted for in terms of differences in a single psychological factor, namely, strength of negativity bias. We argue that, given the multidimensional structure of ideology, a better explanation of ideological variation will take into account both individual differences in negativity bias and differences in empathic concern.

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Political infants? Developmental origins of the negativity bias

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x13002628 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 318-318

Author(s):

Katherine D. Kinzler ◽

Amrisha Vaish

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Human Development ◽

Negativity Bias ◽

Human Cognition ◽

Developmental Origins ◽

Political Ideologies ◽

Genes And Environment ◽

The Relationship ◽

Negative Stimuli

AbstractThe negativity bias in human cognition emerges in infancy and continues throughout childhood. To fully understand the relationship between differences in attention to negative stimuli and variance in political ideologies, it is critical to consider human development and the process by which early individual differences in negativity unfold and are shaped by both genes and environment.

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Twice the negativity bias and half the positivity offset: Evaluative responses to emotional information in depression

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.09.005 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 52 ◽

pp. 166-170 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jackie K. Gollan ◽

Denada Hoxha ◽

Kallio Hunnicutt-Ferguson ◽

Catherine J. Norris ◽

Laina Rosebrock ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Negativity Bias ◽

Emotional Information ◽

Positivity Offset

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The negativity bias, revisited: Evidence from neuroscience measures and an individual differences approach

Social Neuroscience ◽

10.1080/17470919.2019.1696225 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Catherine J. Norris

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Negativity Bias

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The biological roots of political extremism

Politics and the Life Sciences ◽

10.1017/pls.2017.16 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 37-48 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Justin Robert Keene ◽

Heather Shoenberger ◽

Collin K. Berke ◽

Paul D. Bolls

Keyword(s):

Information Seeking ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Interactive Media ◽

Negativity Bias ◽

Information Seeking Behavior ◽

Political Identification ◽

Political Views ◽

Equation Analysis ◽

Seeking Behavior ◽

Positivity Offset

Recent research has revealed the complex origins of political identification and the possible effects of this identification on social and political behavior. This article reports the results of a structural equation analysis of national survey data that attempts to replicate the finding that an individual’s negativity bias predicts conservative ideology. The analysis employs the Motivational Activation Measure (MAM) as an index of an individual’s positivity offset and negativity bias. In addition, information-seeking behavior is assessed in relation to traditional and interactive media sources of political information. Results show that although MAM does not consistently predict political identification, it can be used to predict extremeness of political views. Specifically, high negativity bias was associated with extreme conservatism, whereas low negativity bias was associated with extreme liberalism. In addition, political identification was found to moderate the relationship between motivational traits and information-seeking behavior.

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