The Closing of the Partisan Mind

Abstract

This chapter discusses the correspondence between psychological theories of cognitive closure and social identity theories of partisanship that leads to the alternative expectation that closed minds may be attracted to extreme political preferences. The chapter provides a theoretical framework to confirm whether the conflict in the US is a battle between parties that are psychologically different. It also uses the construct of the need for cognitive closure on assertions that extremists of all types are similar in some way. The chapter highlights ideas that allow an integrative statement about the political psychology of closed minds and partisan groupcentrism in US politics. It covers the individual differences in the need for cognitive closure, variation in the internal cohesiveness and polarization of the political parties, and individual and contextual differences in political attention.