Perceived Victimhood and Hostility Toward Political Opponents in the US: The Moderating Role of Cross-Cutting and Like-Minded News Consumption

Abstract

The perception of victimhood is becoming increasingly common in the current political climate, leading to severe consequences for intergroup relations. This mindset may be further reinforced through news consumption patterns, with differing effects depending on whether individuals consume like-minded versus cross-cutting news. In this research, we explore how perceived victimhood influences outgroup dehumanization and spite, and whether news consumption patterns moderate this relationship. Findings from a survey of US adults (n = 761) indicate that perceived victimhood was associated with increased dehumanization and spite toward political opponents, and that this effect was moderated by exposure to like-minded news consumption. Specifically, conditional effects revealed that the relationship between perceived victimhood and the outcomes was most substantial for those with high and average levels of like-minded news consumption. These findings underscore the role of like-minded news consumption in exacerbating negative attitudes toward political opponents and highlight the importance of countering victimhood narratives to reduce intergroup hostility.