Psychology
The Mechanisms of Cognitive Dissonance in Political Polarization
Quick fact
Studies show that when people are exposed to political information that challenges their views, they often experience a spike in stress hormones, and their brains show activity in regions associated with reward when they dismiss the information.
Why this is interesting
You know that uneasy feeling when you encounter a fact that contradicts your political beliefs? That discomfort influences your decisions more than you think.