People of different group identities often see reality very differently, exemplified by “blue” and “red” social media feeds. Because we lack shared ground with the “other”, building constructive dialogue across differences has become strained globally. Obviously, differing groups get different and often one-sided information. Moreover, even with identical information, psychology research finds that unconscious cognitive bias built into communication shapes our sense of reality to converge with those like us, further diverging from the “other”. In fact, communication can change the connotation that events and people take on in our minds. Say you heard an independent politician is known for voting for what they believe in, instead of party lines. On the face of it, whether you like the politician should only depend on whether you agree with their view. However, telling someone like you about this politician unconsciously shifts your attitude closer to that of your friend, whether it were positive or negative. This jointly held unconscious distortion serves to bond people and create “us”. Over billions of interactions, we come to share a worldview, but we come to share less ground with “them”. Recent research finds that an obstacle to building shared reality with the “other” is distrust in their ability to know what’s true, and building up that trust in indirect ways can increase this bonding bias. In one study, the German students’ trust toward a Turkish student increased when they were discussing another Turkish person, thereby making the Turkish student knowledgeable on the topic. Even when discussing a German person, the German students trusted the attitude when three Turkish students expressed it, rather than one. The strength in numbers and choice of topic bolstered credibility of the “other” (Turks) and reinstated this bonding bias based on trust where there was little shared ground before.
In practice, it helps to bear in mind that people don’t merely communicate because they want to convey accurate information, they often do so in order to share their truth with those they trust and love, a.k.a. people just like themselves or "others" whose knowledge is trusted. In order to share our truths with a diverse group of people, we need to build ways of establishing them as communicators worthy of basic trust and credibility.
Reference:
Ecterhoff, G.; Kopietz, R.; Higgins, E.T. (2017) Shared Reality in Intergroup Communication: Increasing the Epistemic Authority of an Out-Group Audience. Journal of Experimental Psychology.doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xge0000289 Photo Credit: Dfactory
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