PORTLAND — Political polarization and disagreement has been a hot button issue in the realm of public  discourse for a long time, and morality may be a key component of this, says a well-known expert in the field who will be speaking in Portland on Monday evening.

The University of New England’s Center for Global Humanities will host a lecture from Dr. Peter Ditto, who will address the underlying factors of political polarization, and further discuss the fundamental causes of disagreement between Democrats and Republicans. The event will begin at 5 p.m. with a food and beverage reception followed by Ditto’s lecture at 6 p.m. in the UNE’s WCHP Lecture Hall in Parker Pavilion on 716 Stevens Ave. in Portland.

Ditto has been a faculty member at the University of California Irvine since 1997, after receiving his doctorate in Psychology from Princeton University in 1986.

His research has been published in various top scientific journals such as Psychological Science, Perspectives on Psychological Science, and Science. His current research highlights the partisan bias politics, political polarization, as well as the moral and psychological elements of the “culture war” in contemporary American politics.

“In particular, my research focuses on a concept called motivated reasoning – or how what people want to believe (what they wish were true) can act on how they process information and ultimately often leads us to believe what we wish were true,” Ditto said.

The outcome of this is fundamental, he says.

“It was clear that their political feelings were affecting their political judgments – to the point that liberals and conservatives were developing different factual beliefs about the world,” Ditto said. “One of the key themes of my talk is how our political feelings bias our judgments, and that is true of everyone – and on both sides of the aisle. It is important to realize that all of us are susceptible to political bias.”

Ditto also suggested that, “we should all treat politicians on our own side the way we treat politicians on the other. We should apply the same tough standards of competence and integrity that we apply to our political opponents to our political allies.”

When asked about how the community can benefit from this lecture, Ditto said that he hopes it inspires students.

“My hope is that my talk encourages students, and everybody else, to be a bit more intellectually humble about their political beliefs,” he said. “It is important to recognize that other people may have different moral sensitivities than you do, but they feel them just as strongly and deeply as you do.”

The event will be a great experience for students and members of the community to reflect on some of the issues that greatly impact our society.

Josh Pahigian, who leads UNE’s annual Center for Global Humanities Seminar Series, said he’s looking forward to Ditto’s lecture.

“Perhaps every generation says this, but it seems as if our politics has become uglier and more divisive than ever before. This lecture aims to help us better understand the psychological underpinnings of the rift between conservatives and liberals,” Pahigian said. “And I think understanding how we’ve arrived at such a lowly point is the first step in bridging that gulf and arriving at some renewed sense of common purpose as Americans.”

One of the key aspects of the events the Center hosts is that it never shies away from challenging topics that require an open mind and critical thinking. Pahigian said.

“Dealing with these issues will require deep thinking that draws from many disciplines, and I’d like to think our series does its small part to outfit UNE’s student leaders with the knowledge and critical thinking skills they’ll need to make a difference,” he said.

Anour Majid, UNE’s Center for Global Humanities director, said he hopes the audience gets to reflect seriously about what divides Americans and find ways to overcome our unhealthy differences.

The Center for Global Humanities has a 10-year history of hosting lectures from a wide array of topics and perspectives.

“The Center for Global Humanities is both a public forum for local and global communities and one of the best for-credit humanities seminars in the United States and the world,” Majid said. “Our students get to share the auditorium with lawyers, professors, physicians, and other civic leaders.  It is truly an amazing experience for all.”

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