Mohamed Hussein

A growing literature in psychology proposes that we admire people who are open-minded to opposing views; we see them as more intelligent and rational, and are more interested in working with them–yet these findings seem at odds with the polarized and divided world we live in. What gives? In this project, I propose that while we may admire people who are open-minded to opposing ideas (e.g., a Democrat who is open-minded to hearing about stricter immigration laws), we fail to extend our admiration to people who are open-minded to opposing identities (e.g., a Democrat who is open-minded to hearing a Republican politician discuss stricter immigration laws). By introducing identities in the picture, I show that the previously documented admiration of people who are open-minded to opposing views all but disappears—in fact, it often reverses; when it comes to identities, we strongly prefer those who are close-minded and unreceptive to opposing identities, not those who are open-minded and receptive.