Seven years of studying the associations between political polarization and problematic information: a literature review

Giada Marino; Laura Iannelli

doi:10.3389/fsoc.2023.1174161

Seven years of studying the associations between political polarization and problematic information: a literature review

Front Sociol. 2023 May 11:8:1174161. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2023.1174161. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Giada Marino¹, Laura Iannelli¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Economics and Business, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.

Abstract

This literature review examines the intersection between political polarization and problematic information, two phenomena prominent in recent events like the 2016 Trump election and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed 68 studies out of over 7,000 records using quantitative and qualitative methods. Our review revealed a lack of research on the relationship between political polarization and problematic information and a shortage of theoretical consideration of these phenomena. Additionally, US samples and Twitter and Facebook were frequently analyzed. The review also found that surveys and experiments were commonly used, with polarization significantly predicting problematic information consumption and sharing.

Keywords: disinformation; extremism; fake news; literature review; misinformation; political polarization; problematic information; radicalization.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the PRIN-Research Projects of Relevant National Interest, funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) (grant number 20175HFEB3).