Framing the Past, Shaping the Future: The Role of Political Identity and Media Bias in Collective Memories and Future Thoughts

Cheriet, Nawël; Bastin, Christine

doi:10.1002/acp.70231

Article (Scientific journals)

Framing the Past, Shaping the Future: The Role of Political Identity and Media Bias in Collective Memories and Future Thoughts

Cheriet, Nawël; Bastin, Christine

2026 • In Applied Cognitive Psychology, 40 (3)

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https://hdl.handle.net/2268/345841

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10.1002/acp.70231

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Abstract :

[en] ABSTRACT This study examines how media exposure and political identity affect the similarity of collective memories and future thoughts. One hundred twenty‐seven left‐ and right‐leaning Americans were exposed to CNN or FOX news, creating ideologically congruent and incongruent media conditions. Participants read the news, recalled it, and imagined related future scenarios. Text similarity analyses revealed key effects. First, memories were more similar than future thoughts. Then, media congruency increased the similarity of memories and future thoughts only among right‐leaning individuals. Specifically, right‐leaning individuals in the congruent condition had more similar narratives about the past and the future than right‐leaning individuals in the incongruent condition and left‐leaning participants in both conditions. Overall, findings suggest that political identity and media framing shape collective cognition, with implications for democratic discourse and social cohesion.

Disciplines :

Theoretical & cognitive psychology

Author, co-author :

Cheriet, Nawël ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA Neurosciences - Aging & Memory ; F.R.S.‐Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique Bruxelles Belgium

Bastin, Christine ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA Neurosciences - Aging & Memory ; F.R.S.‐Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique Bruxelles Belgium

Language :

English

Title :

Framing the Past, Shaping the Future: The Role of Political Identity and Media Bias in Collective Memories and Future Thoughts

Publication date :

May 2026

Journal title :

Applied Cognitive Psychology

ISSN :

0888-4080

eISSN :

1099-0720

Publisher :

Wiley

Volume :

Issue :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/acp.70231

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since 08 June 2026

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