Antidote for partisanship? In science, curiosity seems to work

Disputes over science-related policy issues such as climate change or fracking often seem as intractable as other politically charged debates. But in science, at least, simple curiosity might help bridge that partisan divide, according to new research. In a study slated for publication in the journal Advances in Political Psychology , a Yale-led research team found that people who are curious about science are less polarized in their views on contentious issues than less-curious peers. In an experiment, they found out why: Science-curious individuals are more willing to engage with surprising information that runs counter to their political predispositions. 'It's a well-established finding that most people prefer to read or otherwise be exposed to information that fits rather than challenges their political preconceptions,' said research team leader Dan Kahan, Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law and professor of psychology at Yale Law School. 'This is called the echo-chamber effect.' But science-curious individuals are more likely to venture out of that chamber, he said. 'When they are offered the choice to read news articles that support their views or challenge them on the basis of new evidence, science-curious individuals opt for the challenging information,' Kahan said.