Analogic Perspective-Taking and Attitudes Toward Political Organizations: An Experiment with a Teachers' Union. Issue 1 (29th October 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hertel-Fernandez, Alexander; Porter, Ethan
• Is Part Of: Journal of experimental political science. Volume 10:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 100
• Page End: 111
• Publication Date: 2023-10-29
• Subjects: analogic perspective-taking -- Survey experiment -- education -- teachers unions; Political science -- Periodicals; Political science -- Research -- Periodicals; Political science -- Methodology -- Periodicals; 320.0724
• DOI: 10.1017/XPS.2021.28
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2052-2630

Abstract

Abstract: Attitudes toward social out-groups can be improved through "analogic perspective-taking, " whereby respondents are encouraged to use an analogy to take the perspective of the group. It is unclear, however, whether analogic perspective-taking can improve attitudes toward political organizations; how perspective-taking fares compared to the provision of narrative alone; and the limits of the attitude changes it creates. We report results from an experiment that tested analogic perspective-taking exercises about members of teachers' unions. While perspective-taking improves attitudes toward unions, union members, and willingness to pay more in education taxes, it also increases support for some antiunion policies. A second study suggests that the bidirectional policy effects are attributable to subjects' difficulty distinguishing pro- from antiunion policies. Analogic perspective-taking can improve attitudes toward social and political groups. But narrative exchange is not always superior to narrative provision, and both approaches may yield mixed effects on policy attitudes.