Perceiving opponents as self-disclosing bridges partisan divides

Political polarization is driving disconnection and animosity between opponents in the United States. We propose perceiving opponents as self-disclosing helps foster connection and reduce animosity. Building on research demonstrating that self-disclosure fosters interpersonal relationships, we test whether vignettes expressing political views that seem self-disclosing increase connection, respect, and willingness to interact among opponents. Across six studies, we demonstrate self-disclosure reduces partisan animosity by building connection between political opponents. Previous work shows that vignettes about opponents’ personal experiences bridge divides better than fact-based vignettes. The results from the current research suggest this is because experiences are especially self-disclosing. Leveraging this, we find that many statements partisans share can improve connection and reduce animosity when they are perceived as self-disclosing. We test this through manipulating the self-disclosure of statements in experiments and by teaching people how to make their statements more self-disclosing. Results indicate self-disclosure is consistently effective for liberal and moderate partisans but in many cases are also effective for conservatives. By highlighting the power of self-disclosure, our findings offer a promising path toward bridging partisan divides.