UC study unveils effect of bumper stickers on drivers

Spectrum News and other news outlets across the country highlighted findings by University of Cincinnati researchers that found that political polarization is seeping into apolitical activities — like driving.

UC College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Professors Rachel Torres and Ben Farrer said survey respondents who watched a driving simulation in which the motorist ahead of them cut them off in traffic were more likely to honk if the offending vehicle had a political bumper sticker, particularly one for the opposing party.

They conducted attitude surveys with paid volunteers who then took part in a short driving simulation. In half of the simulations, another vehicle cuts off participants without signaling. The offending vehicle featured either no sticker or one of three bumper stickers: “Proud Democrat,” “Proud Republican” or the neutral “I love my dog.”

“It activated their partisan hostilities,” said Torres, who teaches political science in UC’s School of Public and International Affairs.

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Political Science.

Read the Spectrum News story.

Featured image at top: UC researchers found that polarized politics are following people into apolitical settings like driving. Photo/PhoenixNS

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