Today it’s great to have the political psychologist Lilianna Mason on the podcast. Dr. Mason is associate professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and author of Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity (University of Chicago Press). Time Stamps [00:35] Introduction of Lilianna Mason [02:00] “Hope leaders” vs. “fear leaders” [02:59] The effects of polarization [05:32] Social vs. policy polarization [08:08] Social identity theory explaining intergroup behavior [11:01] How social homogeneity has changed over recent years [13:28] How racial identity shapes social status [16:06] Why people value social status over money [20:59] Lilianna explains the “frightful despotism” in George Washington’s farewell address [24:45] The role of emotions, and why they matters [27:09] What might happen in the next election in the United States [31:50] The importance of political participation in democracy [33:31] Common behaviors of in-groups and out-groups [37:35] Lilianna shares her research on the 2016 United States election data [40:12] “Contact Theory” [42:53] The emerging awareness of racism and discrimination of African Americans [47:28] The impact of systemic racism on African Americans across generations [54:27] Lilianna reflects on the impact of the Confederacy in culture [56:50] The use of derogatory racial slurs as a new social norm [1:00:07] Self-affirmation to remind a person of their self-worth Dr. Mason received her PhD in Political Psychology from Stony Brook University and her BA in Politics from Princeton University. Her research on partisan identity, partisan bias, social sorting, and American social polarization has been published in journals such as American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Public Opinion Quarterly, and Political Behavior, and featured in media outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, and National Public Radio. Subscribe to The Psychology Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/psychology-podcast-dr.-scott/id942777522 https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-psychology-podcast-with-scott-barry-kaufman/the-psychology-podcast-with-dr-scott-barry-kaufman?refid=stpr See past episodes and join in the Discussion: https://scottbarrykaufman.com/podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepsychologypodcast?ref=br_tf Twitter: https://twitter.com/psychpodcast #ThePsychologyPodcast