Using Progress Visualization to Encourage Open-Mindedness in Politically Polarized News

Sammanfattning

Political polarization is increasingly driven by selective exposure and confirmation bias in news consumption. To address this, progress visualizations as graphical tools displaying users’ engagement with diverse viewpoints have been proposed as a way to foster open-mindedness. However, empirical evidence for their effectiveness remains scarce. This study investigates whether and how such visualizations affect users’ openness to opposing political perspectives. In a between-subjects online experiment using a mock news platform, participants (N = 84) selected articles on a self-chosen, politically polarized topic. They were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: no visualization (control), a bias feedback visualization, or a gamified growth-based visualization. Two research questions guided the analysis: (1) Do visualizations increase the openness to belief-opposing content? (2) Does visualization type influence this effect? Contrary to expectations based on further visualization research and theories, no significant differences were found across groups in participants’ engagement with opposing views. These null results suggest that the visual feedback formats used here may not be sufficient to counteract cognitive-motivational barriers like defensiveness or selective attention. Moreover, possible cognitive load introduced by visual feedback may have impeded deeper processing. Methodological constraints such as short exposure time to the visualizations, limited realism of the platform, an already open-minded participant sample, and statistical power likely contributed to inconclusive findings. Further research should refine visualization design, incorporate longer-term interventions, and consider individual differences in ideological commitment or cognitive style.