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Are political memes changing how we judge people? Psychologists wanted to know how political social media posts, especially memes, affect how we evaluate others.  

In 2020 when President Trump was still President, U.S. researchers studied over 680 conservatives and liberals who looked at fake social media profiles ‘to fill open jobs.’ Researchers presented political memes from online profiles that matched or clashed with the viewer’s beliefs. Participants rated the profile owner’s character, professionalism, and job suitability.

Results? People judged the profile owners more harshly when the memes disagreed with their own views and values. Both conservatives and liberals showed bias, but liberals showed three times more. The researchers say this supports the “worldview conflict” theory that says we’re often more reactive to different values than we are biased toward a political or ideological group. Even in non-political settings like hiring, these hidden biases influence how people were seen and thus rated. 

So, what does this mean for us? Before we dismiss someone over a meme, take a pause. Are we reacting to the person, or to our own beliefs being challenged? Every scroll is a chance to stay curious, not just critical!