Perspective taking through model building: A path to open-mindedness and de-polarization?

Being open-minded about controversial issues and willing to take other
perspectives can help reduce political polarization. We investigated the
use of perspective taking through the construction of causal models of
conflicting viewpoints, aiming to enhance traits associated with an
open-minded mindset and reduce aspects of polarization. In a randomized
classroom quasi-experiment, 1,479 students in introductory courses at two
US universities completed measures of open-mindedness at the beginning and
end of the semester. Students in the treatment condition (N = 636)
completed three assignments modeling opposing perspectives on
controversial issues. While participants in the control condition
exhibited declines in perspective-taking, open-minded cognition, and
intellectual humility, those in the treatment condition did not. Treatment
participants were more likely to perceive attitudinally dissimilar others
as rational. These findings suggest students may experience declines in
open-mindedness over a semester, but modeling different perspectives may
help prevent this, with implications for reducing polarization.