In response to the deepening political divide evident in so many parts of the world, Researchers Nillson & Jost have published a series of studies that underscore the applicability of Tomkins's polarity theory. Polarity theory recognizes that many clashing worldviews tend to be organized around two poles - a humanist pole that prioritizes the person and the experience of that person, and a normative pole that prioritizes rules and behavior that conforms to rules.

In four studies the researchers associated these two poles with several prominent psychological constructs such as right wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and openness to change. The authors conclude:

... Polarity theory seeks to explain how it is possible that a single, left-right dimension can be meaningful and useful—when it comes to describing, explaining, and predicting human behavior across time, place, and myriad life domains. According to Tomkins, humanistic and normative orientations epitomize contrasting ways of dealing with timeless, fundamental problems posed by individual existence and social life, including questions of autonomy and authority, freedom and conformity, creativity and discipline, equality and stratification, fairness and exploitation, and progress and tradition.

For more on this article, it can be read on the peer-reviewed platform PLOS ONE (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7394437/), and for more about Tomkins Polarity theory, see the summary on this site (https://www.tomkins.org/ideology-shaped-by-affectivity) .