Exploring perspectives in the public debate with emotional awareness: Design to reduce polarization

The term ‘polarization’ has become well-known in the public debate. In January 2019, the SCP (Netherlands Institute for Social Research) reported that 77% of the Dutch citizens think disagreements on social issues increase. As we mostly hear and see the more extreme and opposing sides in the media, it seems like society is divided about many issues. Polarization can be defined as ‘sharpening of opposites between groups in society that can result in tensions between these groups and increased segregation’. In a polarized society, one is either positive or negative, with little space for more nuanced emotional Yet, all of our thoughts, motivations and behaviours are influenced by our emotions. Emotion Studio, a research and innovation agency, developed an instrument to measure nuanced emotion profiles on products: PrEmo. This thesis aims for a new application of PrEmo on social issues, in which the method leads to a better emotional understanding in the public debate and acts as the key to unlock people’s concerns that are hidden behind viewpoints. PrEmo is a non-verbal self-report tool that measures seven positive and negative emotions, expressed as 14 cartoons. The project focuses on news media organisations, that can serve as the first communicators of society’s perspectives. The influence of media on polarization was analysed through desk research, a literature study and interviews with media, experts and news consumers. Four key problems were defined, addressing potential fields for change: 1) an unnoticed majority of perspectives, 2) little emotional awareness 3) nuance is lost as news must be clear and attractive to be read and sold, 4) diverging interpretations of reality. Subsequently, a design vision was created: Design to reduce the perception of polarization by enabling Dutch citizens to explore and contribute to the variety of society’s perspectives on social themes, using emotional awareness. The final design proposal, Perspective News, is an online platform on which Dutch citizens can explore society’s perspectives. Perspective News consists of an emotion measurement survey based on PrEmo, that captures people’s emotions and concerns after reading a news article, and a platform, integrated into existing news media website, that displays the captured perspectives. The design realizes 1) an accessible possibility for participation and 2) an inclusive image of society’s perspectives. Perspective News provides a stage to everyone, not just the extremes. The platform of Perspective News helps to get a sense of what a significant amount of society thinks and feels. Perspective News also enables users to compare their perspective to others and supports personal reflection. A communication strategy and implementation roadmap complement the design proposal. The concept was positively evaluated by end-users, media editors and experts. For further development of the concept, recommendations are suggested. Perspective News can be a first step towards reducing the perception of polarization, by amplifying the variety of perspectives that exist in society, which opens the way to the ultimate goal: supporting mutual understanding and empathy as foundation for a solidary society.