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77. Issue Salience Polarization - Adrienne Kafka & Troy Campbell

Outrage Overload: Rethinking politics, division, and media

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Episode  ·  30:33  ·  Nov 26, 2025

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Why We Disagree About What MattersWe often assume political polarization is about beliefs or party loyalty—but what if it’s about which issues we think are worth caring about?In this episode, behavioral scientists Adrienne Kafka (Duke University) and Troy Campbell (On Your Feet, formerly Disney Imagineering and Netflix) unpack their research on issue salience polarization—how our sense of an issue’s importance changes depending on the solutions attached to it.They explain how “solution aversion” and “solution attraction” make people minimize or exaggerate problems based on their preferred policies, and why partisans often agree on an issue’s seriousness until political solutions enter the picture.Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, DavidSupport the showShow Notes:https://outrageoverload.net/ Contact me, David Beckemeyer by email outrageoverload@gmail.com. Follow the show on Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload. Check out our Subtstack https://outrageoverload.substack.comHOTLINE: 925-552-7885Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episodeIf you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload Also check out our companion podcasts, This Week in Outrage and Outrage Science Bites. Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.Many thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.

30m 33s  ·  Nov 26, 2025

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