Informed by uncertainty–identity theory, this study tested the polarizing effect of partisan-led politicization of science and ways to combat it. Using a national sample of South Koreans (N = 840), our online experiment found that when partisan elites, as opposed to scientists (or civic activists), spearheaded politicization, attitude polarization emerged via partisan motivated reasoning. Such polarizing effects of party cues did not persist when subjective certainty and self-affirmation enhanced the level of certainty partisans felt about their surroundings and themselves. These patterns proved consistent across multiple scientific issues, including climate change, genetically modified foods, and algae blooms. The implications of the findings are discussed in light of how to attenuate the polarizing effect of partisan-led politicization through the lens of social identity approaches. Given that this study provides one of the first pieces of evidence on the topic outside the Western context, the advantages of using a South Korean sample are noted.

中文翻译：

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击败怀疑的商人：主观确定性和自我肯定通过党派动机的推理来改善态度两极分化。

在不确定性身份理论的指导下，本研究测试了党派主导的科学政治化的两极分化效应以及与之对抗的方法。使用韩国人的全国样本（N = 840），我们的在线实验发现，当党派精英而不是科学家（或公民活动家）带头政治化时，态度两极分化通过党派动机的推理出现。当主观确定性和自我肯定增强了党派人士对周围环境和自己的确定性水平时，政党线索的这种两极分化效应并没有持续存在。这些模式在多个科学问题中被证明是一致的，包括气候变化、转基因食品和藻类繁殖。根据如何通过社会认同方法来减弱党派主导的政治化的两极分化效应，讨论了这些发现的含义。鉴于这项研究提供了西方背景之外关于该主题的首批证据之一，因此使用韩国样本的优势显而易见。