A large literature demonstrates that conservatives have greater needs for certainty than liberals. This suggests an Asymmetry Hypothesis: Conservatives are less open to new information conflicting with their political identity, and political accountability should be lower on the right compared to the left. However, recent work indicates liberals and conservatives are equally prone to politically motivated reasoning (PMR). We address this puzzle by identifying limitations in existing studies testing the asymmetry hypothesis and conducting two national survey experiments.
Our key theoretical claim was that epistemic needs for certainty promote PMR; we test this directly alongside the Asymmetry Hypothesis. Key Findings:
- We find little evidence supporting either the Asymmetry Hypothesis or its core tenet (that greater conservative certainty drives PMR).
- Although survey respondents report wanting more political information when uncertain, these epistemic needs do not appear to cause politically motivated reasoning.
Why It Matters
This research clarifies a critical factor in understanding how ideological differences shape political cognition. Conservative need for certainty does not seem to be the driver of potential political bias previously thought; therefore, explanations for PMR must consider other factors.
