Say it in Their Words: Can Moral Reframing Reduce Political Divisions?

Current pressing challenges, such as the environmental crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, are of universal concern, and yet political polarization hampers effective political communication across social divisions. Moral reframing, a technique involving formulating messages consistent with the moral values of the receiver, offers a potential solution and induces individuals to support positions they typically oppose. Despite its seeming success for persuading people of reasons to receive vaccinations and act pro-environmentally in the US, little is known about its effects in other contexts. I investigate the depolarizing potential of moral reframing for addressing societal divides on other issues, like migration, too, and I extend its applicability beyond the US. To study the varying effects of moral reframing, I conducted a conjoint experiment presenting diverse moral framings of messages on migration, environment, and defense policies. The experiment considers the influence of policy makers' gender and social groups on their persuasive impact. This work in progress is collecting survey responses from over 3000 participants in Germany to shed light on the nuanced effects of moral reframing in different policy fields and policy makers. My results will inform research on political communication in times of polycrisis, offering insights that can assist policymakers in overcoming societal divisions.