From “The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy” by Christopher Beem
It worked. In every case, the students in this latter group displayed less attitude polarization than the students who were simply encouraged to be impartial. The research confirmed the importance of a metacognitive strategy: “Many biases…are the result of inadequate cognitive strategies rather than inadequate motivation.” Since this study, research has sought to best way to frame that strategy, to achieve the most effective and longest-lasting “debiasing” effects. But for my purposes, the point is clear. Considering the opposite is one way to diminish the effect of partisan bias. It makes us think better.