A study finds that the more severe political polarization is, the more the middle ground is also perceived as the opposing side

A study has found that when political polarization intensifies, both conservatives and liberals come to perceive moderate positions as acts that help the opposing side. The researchers said this perception makes compromise difficult and could lead to centrists being rejected by both sides at the same time. A research team at the University of Florida in the United States conducted several online experiments with more than 3,200 adults. They presented participants with issues such as abortion, the IsraelPalestine conflict, and preferences in the U.S. presidential election, then examined how they evaluated compromise solutions or moderate views. The results showed that the more extreme a person's political stance, the stronger the tendency to view intermediate choices as closer to the other side. The researchers explained this as the 'outgrouping effect of centrism,' noting that centrists may be pushed outside the boundaries of both camps rather than mediating conflict.