The Disappointing (Not Hateful) Divide: Uncovering the Negative Emotions That Underlie Affective Polarization

Affective polarization (AP), the increased negative affect between opposing ideological groups, is a growing concern in Western democracies. While often attributed to mutual hatred, no empirical research has thus far examined the role of different discrete negative emotions underlying it. This research investigates the unique association between a range of negative emotions towards ideological group members (anger, fear, disgust, contempt, disappointment, and hatred) and AP scores. In contrast to the one-dimensional destructive nature of hatred, we argue that the multi-dimensional emotion of disappointment, best captures the complex relationship between ideological group members. Our research, conducted among both US (Studies 1-4) and Jewish-Israeli (Study 5) citizens, points to disappointment as the strongest and most consistent emotion associated with AP across studies, parties, measurements of emotions, and analyses. We discuss the importance of studying discrete negative emotions to gain a better understanding of AP and its implications for social and democratic functioning.