Political Meta-Perception & Media Diet Simulator

1. Partisan Lens & Media Mix

Peer-Reviewed Empirical Model

Empirical Study Scenarios & Benchmarks:

Liberal / Center-Left Outlets 35%

Conservative / Center-Right Outlets 45%

Centrist / Nonpartisan Outlets 20%

Live Diet Proportion:

* Proportions automatically normalize to 100%. Moving any slider dynamically adjusts the remainder to reflect a realistic bounded media diet.

Republican Perspective

Meta-Prejudice Index

“How much I believe the outgroup hates us” (0–100)

52 -16 pts

Meta-Dehumanization Index

“How uncivilized/subhuman they view us” (0–100)

49 -13 pts

🔬 Psychological Mechanism: Moderately Reduced (-16 pts)

Cross-cutting media exposure increases perceived connection with outgroups, mitigating assumptions of mutual contempt.

Actual Outgroup Dislike

38 / 100

Assumed Outgroup Dislike

52 / 100

Perception Distortion Gap

+14 pts (Exaggerated)

Resolving the core r/science discussion confusion: What is the difference between direct bias and meta-perceptions? Click any quadrant to inspect.

1st-Order Affect

Formula: “I dislike Group B”

Personal feelings of coldness, social distance, or negative bias felt toward members of the political or ideological outgroup.

Example: “I find Democrats/Republicans annoying or selfish.”

2nd-Order Assumption (Study Focal 1)

Formula: “I believe Group B intensely dislikes me”

An individual's subjective estimate of how much the outgroup hates, rejects, or holds unfair prejudice against their ingroup.

Key finding: Cross-cutting news exposure systematically lowers this exaggerated assumption.

1st-Order Moral Exclusion

Formula: “Group B is less evolved / uncivilized”

Denying full humanness, refined emotion, or moral capacity to outgroup members (e.g. the Ascent of Man scale).

Example: Rating the opposing party lower on human sophistication or rational morality.

2nd-Order Threat Belief (Study Focal 2)

Formula: “I believe Group B sees us as subhuman animals”

The belief that outgroup members view your side as subhuman or unevolved monsters. Drives existential fear and defensive aggression.

Key finding: Conservative echo-chamber media consumption actively increases meta-dehumanization for Republicans.

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