A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Sad but true: how emotions and political ideology shape perceptions of information;




AuthorsHalko, Marja-Liisa; Halonen, Juho; Laukkanen, Marita; Nyberg, Henri; Salmela, Mikko

PublisherInforma UK Limited

Publication year2026

Journal: Cognition and Emotion

ISSN0269-9931

eISSN1464-0600

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2026.2662478

Publication's open availability at the time of reportingOpen Access

Publication channel's open availability Partially Open Access publication channel

Web address https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2026.2662478

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/523597985

Self-archived copy's licenceCC BY

Self-archived copy's versionPublisher`s PDF


Abstract

Political and economic challenges, amplified by social media algorithms, are increasingly polarising how people receive and evaluate information. This study examines how political views and immediate emotional reactions shape the perceived trustworthiness of information. We conducted a preregistered laboratory experiment in which participants evaluated politically charged statements while their emotional responses were assessed in real time. Facial expressions were recorded to identify seven discrete emotions, while galvanic skin response and heart rate were measured to capture physiological arousal and reaction intensity. Consistent with expectations and prior research, we observed a clear political confirmation bias: ideologically congruent statements were rated as more trustworthy, with the strongest effect among the most conservative participants. Increases in anger and sadness were positively associated with trust ratings across the sample, whereas joy was linked to reduced confirmation bias. Among conservatives, multiple emotions predicted overall trust and the extent of confirmation bias. Machine-learning models incorporating physiological data likewise identified anger and joy as the most informative emotional predictors; however, physiological measures did not improve predictive performance beyond the baseline model, contrary to our expectation. By integrating behavioural and real-time physiological measures, the findings highlight how emotional and cognitive processes interact to shape trust in political information.



Keywords:
Confirmation biaspolitical ideologypsychophysiologytrust judgments

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Funding information in the publication
This study was funded by the OP Research Foundation, Finland [grant number: 20200129]; Helsinki Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities; Research Council of Finland [grant number: WhiKnow project].


Last updated on 27/05/2026 07:13:16 AM