In two large-scale longitudinal datasets (combined N = 5761), we investigated ability-related political polarization in responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. We observed more polarization with greater ability in emotional responses, risk perceptions, and product-purchase intentions across five waves of data collection with a diverse, convenience sample from February 2020 through July 2020 (Study 1, N = 1267). Specifically, more liberal participants had more negative emotional responses and greater risk perceptions of COVID-19 than conservative participants. Compared to conservatives, liberal participants also interpreted quantitative information as indicating higher COVID-19 risk and sought COVID-related news more from liberal than conservative news media. Of key importance, we also compared verbal and numeric cognitive abilities for their independent capacity to predict greater polarization. Although measures of numeric ability, such as objective numeracy, are often used to index ability-related polarization, ideological differences were more pronounced among those higher in verbal ability specifically. Similar results emerged in secondary analysis of risk perceptions in a nationally representative longitudinal dataset (Study 2, N = 4494; emotions and purchase intentions were not included in this dataset). We further confirmed verbal-ability-related polarization findings on non-COVID policy attitudes (i.e., weapons bans and Medicare-for-all) measured cross-sectionally. The present Study 2 documented ability-related polarization emerging over time for the first time (rather than simply measuring polarization in existing beliefs). Both studies demonstrated verbal ability measures as the most robust predictors of ability-related polarization. Together, these results suggest that polarization may be a function of the amount and/or application of verbal knowledge rather than selective application of quantitative reasoning skills.

在两个大型纵向数据集中（合计N = 5761），我们研究了应对 COVID-19 大流行时与能力相关的政治极化。我们在 2020 年 2 月至 2020 年 7 月的五波数据收集中观察到，在情绪反应、风险认知和产品购买意向方面，具有多样化、便利性样本的两极分化程度更高（研究 1， N = 1267）。具体来说，与保守派参与者相比，更自由派的参与者对 COVID-19 有更多的负面情绪反应和更大的风险认知。与保守派相比，自由派参与者还将定量信息解释为表明 COVID-19 风险较高，并且更多地从自由派新闻媒体而不是保守派新闻媒体寻求与 COVID-19 相关的新闻。至关重要的是，我们还比较了语言和数字认知能力，以了解它们预测更大两极分化的独立能力。尽管数字能力的衡量标准（例如客观计算能力）经常被用来衡量与能力相关的两极分化，但在语言能力较高的人中，意识形态差异更为明显。在全国代表性纵向数据集中对风险认知的二次分析中出现了类似的结果（研究 2， N = 4494；该数据集中不包括情绪和购买意图）。我们进一步证实了横断面测量的非新冠政策态度（即武器禁令和全民医疗保险）中与语言能力相关的两极分化结果。目前的研究 2 首次记录了随着时间的推移出现的与能力相关的两极分化（而不是简单地衡量现有信念中的两极分化）。 两项研究都证明言语能力测量是能力相关极化最有力的预测因素。总之，这些结果表明，极化可能是言语知识的数量和/或应用的函数，而不是定量推理技能的选择性应用。