MicroMappers
Polarization Annotation Tutorial (Based on Guideline)

Polarization Annotation Tutorial

This tutorial follows the short guideline and adapts it to the project’s three tasks and UI. Please annotate the text only; do not follow external links.

Consent & Well-being — Participation is voluntary. You may encounter polarized and hateful content; take breaks to safeguard your mental well-being. If you do not wish to participate, please exit.

Contents

  1. 1) Goals & Tasks
  2. 2) Quick Decision Flow
  3. 3) Definitions Aligned to Guideline
  4. 4) Worked Examples
  5. 5) Borderline & Tie-breakers
  6. 6) Quality & Consistency Rules
  7. 7) FAQ

1) Goals & Tasks

Task 1 — Polarization Classification (Yes/No). Polarization refers to the division of opinions into two sharply contrasting groups, often accompanied by hostility, intolerance, or exclusion. The annotation task is to decide if the text clearly reflects attitude polarization — division, intolerance, or conflict between groups/identities, often signaled by stereotyping, vilification, dehumanization, deindividuation, or intolerance of others’ views/identities. If one or more are present, label Yes (Polarized); otherwise No (Not Polarized). Consider the overall meaning, not isolated words.

Task 2 — Type(s) of Polarization (Multi-label, if Task 1=Yes). Select all targeted group types: Political/ideological, Racial/Ethnic, Religious, Gender, Sexual orientation, or Other.

Task 3 — Manifestation(s) or Tactics (Multi-label, if Task 1=Yes). Select all that apply: Stereotype, Vilification, Dehumanization, Extreme language & absolutism, Lack of empathy, Invalidation. Note: Our schema also tracks Deindividuation (treating a group as a faceless mass); include it if provided in your UI.

Only texts that clearly reflect attitude polarization should be marked as polarized. Always read the full text and consider context.

2) Quick Decision Flow

  1. Is there group targeting? If no attack/defense of a group/identity/ideology → Not Polarized. If yes → Polarized and continue.
  2. Choose Type(s) (Task 2). Identify all targeted groups (Political, Religious, Racial/Ethnic, Gender, Sexual orientation, Other + specify).
  3. Choose Manifestation(s) (Task 3). Select all that fit (Stereotype, Vilification, Dehumanization, Extreme language & absolutism, Lack of empathy, Invalidation; plus Deindividuation if enabled).

Tip If you see dehumanization, always include it (and any others that apply). Policy critique without group-level blame is Not Polarized.

3) Definitions Aligned to Guideline

Types (Task 2)

  • Political / Ideological: Division/intolerance/conflict between parties, followers, or ideological camps. This type of extremism focuses on division, intolerance, and conflict between political parties and followers.
  • Racial / Ethnic: Division/intolerance/conflict based on race, ethnicity, tribe/caste, or ethnicized language/region. This type of polarization focuses on ethnic identity or racial origin and incites division, intolerance, and conflict between ethnic groups or races.
  • Religious: Division/intolerance/conflict based on religious identity, denominations/sects, or followers. This type of polarization focuses on religious identity and incites division, intolerance, and conflict between religious followers.
  • Gender: Exclusion/discrimination/marginalization based on gender or gender roles/expressions. This type of polarization refers to the exclusion, discrimination, and marginalization of individuals based on their gender.
  • Sexual orientation: Heightened tensions/marginalization across orientations (e.g., LGBTQ+). This refers to the increasing division and distinction between different sexual orientations within society, often leading to heightened tensions, misunderstandings, conflicts, or marginalization among various groups.
  • Other: Texts targeting other groups/identities (e.g., economy, technology, media, etc.). Use the comment box to specify (e.g., “migrants”, “police”, “nationality”).

Mixed polarization is common — select all relevant types.

Manifestations (Task 3)

  • Stereotype: Generalizing traits to the whole group; ignoring individual differences. Does the message generalize certain characteristics of individuals to all members of a group? Does it ignore individual differences? Stereotypes often reduce complex personalities to simple, one-size-fits-all representations.
  • Vilification: Defaming/demonizing a group; exaggerated/bias framing to incite fear or hostility. Does the text defame or demonize a particular group, person, or entity, inciting fear? This could be through exaggeration, misrepresentation, or biased framing that presents the subject in a negative, harmful light.
  • Dehumanization: Comparing to animals/parasites/objects; denying humanity, dignity, or individuality. Is the text stripping a group or individual of their human qualities or personality? Dehumanization compares people to animals, machines, or objects, or otherwise denies their humanity, dignity, or individuality.
  • Extreme language & Absolutism: “Always/never,” “us vs them,” superlatives; highly inflammatory tone. Does the text use extreme language or make absolute statements? Attitude polarization often involves absolutist language (e.g., "always", "never"), extreme (e.g., "worst", "best"), or dichotomous (e.g., "us vs. them", "right vs. wrong").
  • Lack of empathy: Absence of understanding/compassion for others’ perspectives or suffering.
  • Invalidation: Denying a group’s identity, existence, rights, or lived experience. Does the text deny or invalidate the identity and existence of people?

Select all that apply. 2–3 manifestations often co-occur.

4) Worked Examples

Read, then open the solution.

Ex-1 (Political): “ওরা সব দলীয় গুন্ডা—দেশটা নষ্ট করছে!”

Task 1: Polarized ✅

Task 2: Political/Ideological

Task 3: Vilification, Deindividuation, Extreme language

Ex-2 (Religious): “ওদের ধর্মীয় অনুশীলন ভণ্ডামি—এই দাবিগুলো বৈধ নয়।”

Task 1: Polarized ✅

Task 2: Religious

Task 3: Invalidation, Vilification

Ex-3 (Ethnic/Migrants): “রোহিঙ্গারা আমাদের দেশে পোকামাকড়ের মতো ছড়িয়ে পড়ছে।”

Task 1: Polarized ✅

Task 2: Racial/Ethnic (or Other: migrants/refugees)

Task 3: Dehumanization, Stereotype

Ex-4 (Gender): “মেয়েরা কাজের নয়; ওদের ভোটে দেশটাই শেষ!”

Task 1: Polarized ✅

Task 2: Gender

Task 3: Stereotype, Vilification, Extreme language

Ex-5 (Sexual orientation): “এরা ‘আসল’ পরিবার না—তাদের অধিকার মানি না।”

Task 1: Polarized ✅

Task 2: Sexual orientation

Task 3: Invalidation, Vilification

Ex-6 (Other: Institution): “সব পুলিশই জনগণের শত্রু।”

Task 1: Polarized ✅

Task 2: Other (profession: police)

Task 3: Stereotype, Deindividuation, Vilification

Ex-7 (Not Polarized – neutral): “আজ সংসদে বাজেট উপস্থাপন করা হয়েছে।”

Task 1: Not Polarized ✅ — Neutral report; no group blame/defense.

Ex-8 (Policy critique only): “এই কর নীতি ছোট ব্যবসাকে ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত করবে।”

Task 1: Not Polarized ✅ — Policy critique without identity-group blame.

5) Borderline & Tie-breakers

6) Quality & Consistency Rules

Keyboard If your task UI supports it: 1 = Polarized, 0 = Not.

7) FAQ

Q: Text targets both Political and Religious groups. What now?
A: Select both Types and all applicable Manifestations.

Q: Harsh tone but only about policy, not a group?
A: Not Polarized, unless it generalizes blame to an identity group.

Q: Meme with text only—annotate?
A: Yes. Base your decision on the provided text.

Thank you for your careful, consistent annotations.

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