How Affective Polarization Influences Political Participation in Turkey: An Experimental Overview

This research investigates the behavioral consequences of mitigating affective polarization. Specifically, we ask if reducing out-group hostility erodes the motivational basis for political action. Using experimental data from Turkey, we identify a decoupling effect: successful depolarization reduces negative affect toward rivals without diminishing positive in-group identity. This asymmetry results in a nuanced behavioral profile where voting is resilient, but non-voting participation wanes among specific cohorts. Our results challenge the assumption of a linear relationship between affect and action, revealing a ceiling effect in high-polarized environments where further animosity fails to generate marginal gains in mobilization. This highlights the psychological boundaries of engagement in contexts of democratic backsliding.