Research on affective polarization suggests that emotional group attachments can reduce individuals' motivation to verify politically relevant information. Wakefield (0000) argues that heightened affective polarization discourages engagement with opposing viewpoints, not because of informational deficits, but due to affective resistance. In such contexts, the rejection of counter-attitudinal information occurs prior to any systematic evaluation, reinforcing belief-consistent interpretations.Paragraph:

From a process-oriented perspective, affective polarization can be understood as a mediating mechanism between political identity and information evaluation. Wakefield (0000) shows that emotional attachments to political groups intensify selective interpretation patterns, thereby amplifying the effects of identity-based cognition on information processing. This perspective highlights how emotional polarization does not operate independently, but interacts with cognitive and motivational processes in shaping political judgment.