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theses

Recent research has demonstrated the undeniable influence of emotion on political decision making and voter choice. Research on negative campaigning has grown in the past decade, but a recent meta-analysis reached no conclusion about its effectiveness (Lau & Rovner, 2009). There is still debate in the literature as to whether the dimensional emotion perspective or the discrete emotion perspective is superior, and consequently few studies have examined whether discrete emotions (in this case anger and contempt) have differential impacts on voters’ perceptions of candidates. Although anger and contempt are both negatively valenced emotions related to interpersonal conflict, they differ in both social function and prototypical behaviors (Fischer & Roseman, 2007). This study tested the differential impacts of anger and contempt on voters’ reactions to presidential candidates by having three groups of participants watch the second presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney and indicate each time they either (1) perceive Obama or Romney to express anger or contempt or (2) feel anger or contempt toward Obama or Romney or (3) have favorable or unfavorable impressions of Obama or Romney. Pre- and post-debate questionnaires measured participants’ perceptions of the candidates and participants’ favorability towards the candidates. Multiple regression models tested the effects of anger and contempt on perceptions of presidential candidates and feelings of favorability toward those candidates. Feelings of anger and contempt inconsistently predicted a decrease in favorability, although feelings of anger better predicted negative perceptions than feelings of contempt. Expressions of anger by the candidates were overall related to a decrease in positive perceptions toward the expressing candidate and, in some cases, a decrease in negative perceptions of the opposing candidate. However, expressions of both anger and contempt by the candidates were also related to an increase in negative perceptions of the opposing candidate, although expressions of contempt had a stronger relationship with increased negative perceptions. Overall, anger and contempt were shown to have differential impacts on perceptions and favorability toward presidential candidates.

ETD_5688

M.A.

Includes bibliographical references

by Gabriel Johnston

doi:10.7282/T31834RT

ETD graduate

The author owns the copyright to this work.