The general fault in our fault lines
Authors: Ruggeri Kai , Većkalov Bojana , Bojanić Lana , Andersen Thomas Lind , Ashcroft-Jones Sarah , Ayacaxli Nélida , Barea Arroyo Paula , Berge Mari Louise , Bjørndal Ludvig Daae , Bursalıoğlu Aslı , Bühler Vanessa , Čadek Martin , Çetinçelik Melis , Clay Georgia , Cortijos-Bernabeu Anna , Damnjanović Kaja , Dugue Tatianna , Esberg Maya , Esteban Serna Celia , Felder Ezra N. , Friedemann Maja , Villanueva Darianna I. Frontera , Gale Patricia , Garcia-Garzon Eduardo , Geiger Sandra Jeanette , George Leya , Girardello Allegra , Gracheva Aleksandra , Gracheva Anastasia , Guillory  , Hecht Marlene , Herte Katharina , Hubená Barbora , Ingalls William , Jakob Lea , Janssens Margo , Jarke Hannes , Kácha Ondřej , Kalinova Kalina Nikolova , Karakasheva Ralitsa , Khorrami Peggah , Lep Zan , Lins Samuel , Lofthus Ingvild Sandø , Mamede Salomé , Mareva Silvana , Mascarenhas Mafalda F. , McGill Lucy , Morales-Izquierdo Sara , Moltrecht Bettina , Mueller Tasja Sophie , Musetti Marzia , Nelsson Joakim , Otto Thiago , Paul Alessandro , Pavlović Irena , Petrović Marija , Popović Dora , Prinz Gerhard M. , Razum Josip , Sakelariev Ivaylo , Samuels Vivian , Sanguino Inés , Say Nicolas , Schuck Jakob , Soysal Irem , Todsen Anna Louise , Tünte Markus R. , Vdovic Milica , Vintr Jáchym , Vovko Maja , Vranka Marek Albert , Wagner Lisa , Wilkins Lauren , Willems Manou , Wisdom Elizabeth , Yosifova Aleksandra , Zeng Sandy , Ahmed Mahmoud A. , Dwarkanath Twinkle , Cikara Mina , Lees Jeffrey Martin , Folke Tomas 
Published: September 2020

A pervading global narrative suggests that political polarisation is increasing in the US and around the world. Beliefs in increased polarisation impact individual and group behaviours regardless of whether they are accurate or not. One driver of polarisation are beliefs about how members of the out-group perceive us, known as group meta-perceptions. A 2020 study by Lees and Cikara in US samples suggests that not only are out-group meta-perceptions highly inaccurate, but informing people of this inaccuracy reduces negative beliefs about the out-group. Given the importance of these findings for understanding and mitigating polarisation, it is essential to test to what extent they generalise to other countries. We assess that generalisability by replicating two of the original experiments in 10,207 participants from 26 countries in the first experiment and 10 in the second. We do this by studying local group divisions, which we refer to as fault lines. In line with our hypotheses, results show that the pattern found in the US broadly generalises, with greater heterogeneity explained by specific policies rather than between-country differences. The replication of a simple disclosure intervention in the second experiment yielded a modest reduction in negative motive attributions to the out-group, similar to the original study. These findings indicate first that inaccurate and negative group meta-perceptions are exhibited in a large number of countries, not only the US, and that informing individuals of their misperceptions can yield positive benefits for intergroup relations. The generalisability of these findings highlights a robust phenomenon with major implications for political discourse worldwide.