Replication data for the manuscript "Beyond Division: Loss-Aversion and Security as Dominant Values of Polarized Societies"

This is the replication package of the manuscript "Beyond Division: Loss-Aversion and Security as Dominant Values of Polarized Societies" see abstract below.<br>Researchers mainly associate political polarization with profound ideological differences, values, and ideals. Strongly polarized societies, however, are similar to each other and differ from less polarized societies in terms of the values their citizens prioritize. This paper aims to introduce an important empirical finding on the cultural and value background of political polarization, opening up a novel perspective in the research of polarization, which, until now, has remained understudied in the literature. It demonstrates that people in more polarized societies are more firmly attached to anxiety-based values, have more conservative value profiles, and are especially concerned about security. The analysis relies on data from the European Social Survey (ESS) collected between 2002 and 2022, resulting in a maximum of 232 observations from 32 countries. As values and cultural dimensions change slowly over time, the hypothesis emerges that they are drivers of – or at least risk factors for - polarization. The results enhance our knowledge of the context and background of polarization, suggesting that polarization may be deeply embedded in cultural, ideological, and value factors.