Cited by 25Social and Intergroup PsychologyElectoral Systems and Political ParticipationDecision-Making and Behavioral Economics

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Partisan Bias in Political Judgment

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Ditto, Peter H., Celniker, Jared B., Siddiqi, Shiri Spitz, Güngör, Mertcan, Relihan, Daniel P.·2025·Annual Review of Psychology

DOI 10.1146/annurev-psych-030424-122723

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Abstract

This article reviews empirical data demonstrating robust ingroup favoritism in political judgment. Partisans display systematic tendencies to seek out, believe, and remember information that supports their political beliefs and affinities. However, the psychological drivers of partisan favoritism have been vigorously debated, as has its consistency with rational inference. We characterize decades-long debates over whether such tendencies violate normative standards of rationality, focusing on the phenomenon of motivated reasoning. In light of evidence that both motivational and cognitive factors contribute to partisan bias, we advocate for a descriptive approach to partisan bias research. Rather than adjudicating the (ir)rationality of partisan favoritism, future research should prioritize the identification and measurement of its predictors and clarify the cognitive mechanisms underlying motivated political reasoning. Ultimately, we argue that political judgment is best evaluated by a standard of ecological rationality based on its practical implications for individual well-being and functional democratic governance.

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“Some have argued that partisan bias is driven in part by motivated reasoning (Celniker & Ditto, 2024; Ditto et al., 2025; Kahan, 2016; Peterson & Iyengar, 2021; Van Bavel et al., 2024).”
Influential
Using Artificial Intelligence to Better Understand Human Intelligence
Pennycook, G., Costello, T. H., & Rand, D. G. (2026) · Current Directions in Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/09637214261417960 · Cited by 2
“…consequence of focusing on the social implications of our reasoning, research on motivated reasoning often conjectures that accuracy or truth-related goals are superseded by identity-based or so-called tribalistic concerns (Clark & Winegard, 2020; Ditto et al., 2024; Haidt, 2001; Kahan, 2013).”

See all 25

Authors: Ditto, P. H., Celniker, J. B., Siddiqi, S. S., Güngör, M., & Relihan, D. P.
Affiliations: University of California, Irvine (US)
Arizona State University (US)
ORCID: Ditto, Peter H.
Celniker, Jared B.
Siddiqi, Shiri Spitz
Güngör, Mertcan
Relihan, Daniel P.
Venue: Annual Review of Psychology
Publisher: Annual Reviews
Published: 2025-01-17
Volume: 76
Issue: 1
Pages: 717-740
ISSN: 0066-4308 (ISSN-L)
1545-2085
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-030424-122723
OpenAlex: W4402265865
Semantic Scholar: cd99f85b5e1645cddffe103d4b529ca872c658f6
Cited by: 25
References: 113
Citations by year: 2026: 13 · 2025: 9
FWCI: 3.19
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: hybrid
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (unspecified)
Locations: Annual Review of Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Electoral Systems and Political Participation
Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
Keywords: partisan bias, political judgment, motivated reasoning, in-group favoritism, confirmation bias, rational inference, ecological rationality, cognitive mechanisms, democratic governance
MeSH terms: Humans, Judgment, Motivation, Politics

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