Does Observation of Others’ Actions Prevent Polarization? Results from Laboratory Experiments

Does Observation of Others’ Actions Prevent Polarization? Results from Laboratory Experiments | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Does Observation of Others’ Actions Prevent Polarization? Results from Laboratory Experiments Kiichiro Arai, Yasushi Asako, Airo Hino, So Morikawa This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8906325/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study explores how “belief polarization” changes by revealing others’ actions through laboratory experiments. Belief polarization refers to the phenomenon in which individuals’ beliefs become more extreme and divergent, even with access to the same public information as others, when they possess private information. Revealing others’ actions can prevent belief polarization, since people can infer others’ private information through their actions. The key results of the study are as follows. First, when we reveal others’ actions only once, polarization still occurs and increases over rounds. On the other hand, polarization is not occurred by revealing others’ private information. Second, when others’ actions are revealed in all experiment rounds, polarization does not occur. However, if subjects think others have insufficient information, polarization persists—even when others’ actions are revealed in all rounds. JEL classification: C92, D72, D82, D83 belief polarization laboratory experiments asymmetric information correlation neglect social learning Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Tables are available in the Supplementary Files section. Supplementary Files Tables.docx OnlineAppendixr14.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8906325","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":604642471,"identity":"95148a6a-2c12-4ae6-916b-e67a5e300f2a","order_by":0,"name":"Kiichiro Arai","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Chuo University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kiichiro","middleName":"","lastName":"Arai","suffix":""},{"id":604642472,"identity":"46a8e8c6-1d67-40a4-a486-aea3cf5a6e57","order_by":1,"name":"Yasushi Asako","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABAklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLACxgYJEMXMwFAB5hswMPAQreUM8VoYIFoY22Ba8ACD48efSf7cYcHA33/4scHHeYfl5dubN35gkLmDW8uZHDNp3jMSDBI30owTZ247bLjhzLFiCQaeZ7i1HMhhk2ZsA/rlBoPxYd5ttxk3SOQYALUcxq3l/HOgw4Ba5M8f/3yYd85t+/nz3xj/wKvlRoKZBC9QC9A642TehtuJDTd4zPDaInnjjbE1UAuP4Y2cYsMZx/4nbziTVmaRgMcvfOfTH9782VYnJ3f++GaJDzVptvPbD2++8bEHd4gpHIDQaFGX2HMApxb5BuziP3BrGQWjYBSMghEHAE9nWnM9dRykAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Waseda University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yasushi","middleName":"","lastName":"Asako","suffix":""},{"id":604642473,"identity":"ccd9517b-bf06-428f-adfb-0b471ab11339","order_by":2,"name":"Airo Hino","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Waseda University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Airo","middleName":"","lastName":"Hino","suffix":""},{"id":604642474,"identity":"173cd281-4eff-4923-be4e-ef72dbc0f3d5","order_by":3,"name":"So Morikawa","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The University of Tokyo","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"So","middleName":"","lastName":"Morikawa","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-18 06:26:00","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8906325/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8906325/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104781127,"identity":"378bfac8-ad62-491a-9c47-043637a340d9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-17 07:54:52","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":728990,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"annonymouslaboratoryr14.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8906325/v1_covered_55420fc0-6f0d-4756-b777-813b87f2e68f.pdf"},{"id":104566044,"identity":"897d802a-66e6-4c4d-9202-bc9170f2a558","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-13 11:27:33","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":34912,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Tables.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8906325/v1/f979fc5f0b6dca7cd837115f.docx"},{"id":104566043,"identity":"19e91f3a-998a-48fe-8474-80ff48d26997","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-13 11:27:32","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":124857,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineAppendixr14.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8906325/v1/5730fc5b1b9e5eaf6639964f.docx"}],"financialInterests":"\u003cp\u003eNo competing interests reported.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTables are available in the Supplementary Files section.\u003c/p\u003e","formattedTitle":"Does Observation of Others’ Actions Prevent Polarization? 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