In this engaging discussion, Joe Siev, a postdoctoral fellow at the Darden School of Business, delves into the intriguing link between ambivalence and extreme political behavior. He reveals how mixed feelings can lead individuals to take decisive yet extreme actions, especially during crises like COVID-19. Joe also explores the role of cognitive dissonance and how our perceptions and expectations shape emotional responses. This conversation challenges traditional views on ambivalence, shedding light on its complex dynamics in various decision-making contexts.
Ambivalence often delays decision-making but can paradoxically drive people to take extreme political actions to affirm their beliefs.
Extreme behaviors, such as political violence, arise from a need to resolve inner conflict and intentionally signal commitment to a cause.
Deep dives
Understanding Ambivalence
Ambivalence refers to the experience of holding conflicting evaluations about an object, where one might feel positively and negatively at the same time. This mixed opinion can lead to subjective feelings of internal conflict, making decision-making challenging. When individuals feel ambivalent, they often find it difficult to take decisive actions, which can result in delayed decisions or outsourcing choices to others. As such, ambivalence can create a significant barrier to action, particularly in situations that require clarity and confidence in one's choices.
The Role of Extremism in Decision-Making
Research suggests that while ambivalence generally hinders ordinary decision-making, it may actually promote decisiveness in extreme situations. This means that individuals who feel conflicted about important issues may become more likely to support or engage in extreme actions, such as political violence, as a way to affirm their beliefs. The desire to send a strong signal about one's positions seems to drive this behavior, as extreme actions provide clarity in the face of ambivalence. Thus, in contexts where decisions are more fraught or contentious, ambivalence might motivate individuals to act more drastically.
Defining Extreme Behavior
Extreme behaviors are characterized as actions that are unusual or deviate from societal norms within a specific attitudinal domain. These behaviors, such as political violence or confrontational debates, tend to be less common and are often associated with strong personal beliefs. The unusualness of extreme actions further enhances their significance, as engaging in such behaviors sends a clear message about one's stance and commitment to a cause. By contrast, moderate behaviors, which are widely accepted and common, often lack the same level of intensity or signal value.
Motivation Behind Extreme Actions
The tendency for ambivalent individuals to engage in extreme actions stems from a need to alleviate discomfort associated with conflicting feelings. This involves a compensatory behavior where individuals respond to their ambivalence by taking decisive, often extreme actions to establish where they stand. Importantly, research indicates that findings related to this phenomenon challenge traditional views that ambivalence simply means a lack of direction; rather, it reveals a complex interplay between discomfort and the desire for affirmation. This suggests that ambivalence can serve as a catalyst for more intense expressions of belief in politically charged environments.
Joe Sievstudies extreme political behavior and its appeal. He's a postdoctoral fellow at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. In our conversation, we talk about his research linking people's sense of ambivalence with their willingness to take extreme action.