Overview

• University of Cincinnati researchers Rachel Torres and Ben Farrer report the findings in Frontiers in Political Science in October 2025.
• Participants watched short dashcam simulations where a vehicle either cut them off or made an unremarkable turn, displaying no sticker, a neutral “I love my dog,” “Proud Democrat,” or “Proud Republican.”
• When cut off, respondents said they were more likely to honk at vehicles bearing stickers for the opposing political party than at those with neutral or same‑party messages.
• A follow‑up survey found no increase in positive views toward same‑party drivers, but it did record greater hostility toward drivers signaling the opposing ideology.
• The study used paid U.S. drivers, collected demographic and personality controls, and measured self‑reported reactions, indicating limits on real‑world generalizability.