Political Ideology Morality Interests and Willingness to Interact Research Paper

Abstract

Studies have shown that political ideology is often misunderstood and categorized into simplistic ideas. Morality is intricately connected with political ideology in the sense that it contains a vast array of views. Simplistic views promote division, when in reality, there are more experiences, values, and interests that unite, rather than divide us. Investigating ways people draw upon to find commonality is critical both for researchers and those desiring to forge bonds among individuals. It was hypothesized that participants with different political ideologies would score differently on moral stances, liberals would score higher on moral stances relating to the well-being of individuals, conservatives would have different scores across the five foundations of morality, participants would be more willing to interact with profiles that disclosed their interests rather than a moral stance, and that participants would be more willing to interact with someone of a similar political ideology as themselves. Participants (N=55) volunteered to take a survey through Qualtrics; they disclosed demographic information, political ideology, moral stances, interests, and willingness to interact. All hypotheses were partially or fully supported. Results showed that participants with different political ideologies score differently on moral stances. Results also showed participants were more willing to interact with someone who shared their interests rather than a moral stance. These results highlight differences based on political ideology and moral values, while pinpointing similarities based on shared characteristics (Interests, moral stances). These results provide hope for fostering future relationships based on commonality that lead to respect of opposing ideologies.