This study examines partisan gaps in politically relevant facts using experiments with incentives.
Data & Methods:
- Experiments offered financial rewards for accurate survey answers;
- Respondents could search for information before responding;
- Compared results to web-browsing data from the same people.
Key Findings:
- Information divides are inflated by partisan cheerleading;
- However, these divides persist even with incentives and in natural settings (web browsing);
- Sincere motivated reasoning explains belief adoption across contexts.
Why It Matters:
Our results clarify the role of incentives versus genuine information-seeking preferences. They support the view that inaccurate partisan beliefs are driven by a preference for congruent evidence, indicating deep-rooted motivated reasoning rather than just manipulation.
