Positive Messages as a Motivator for Seeking Information about Candidates

• Published in: Politics & policy (Statesboro, Ga.) Vol. 47; no. 5; pp. 877 - 901
• Main Authors: Lee, Jongho, Boeckelman, Keith, Hardy, Richard J., Davis, Kyle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2019
• Subjects: Aprendizaje político; Attitudes; Campaigning; Campaña política; Candidates; Clinton, Hillary Rodham; Comportamiento Electoral; Democracy; Elección presidencial; Emociones y política; Emotions; Emotions and Politics; Estímulo político; Fiorina, Carly; Información política; Information; Internet; Investigación experimental; Mass media; Political advertising; Political attitudes; Political Campaign; Political campaigns; Political Communications; Political Information; Political Learning; Politics; Polls & surveys; Política; Positive emotions; Positive vs. Negative Political Stimuli; Positivo vs negativo; Presidential candidates; Presidential Election; Presidential elections; Social media; Social networks; Survey Experiment; Voting; Voting Behavior; 总统选举; 情绪与政治; 投票行为; 政治信息; 政治学习; 政治竞选; 积极‐消极政治刺激; 调查实验
• ISSN: 1555-5623; 1747-1346
• DOI: 10.1111/polp.12326

What, if anything, will motivate people to seek information about candidates during campaigns? Our study tackles this question drawing on data from a survey experiment conducted with a total of 1,421 college student subjects. Study participants were randomly divided into four groups, each of which was asked to read one of four brief statements about the candidacy of either Hillary Clinton or Carly Fiorina written in an either positive or negative tone. Study subjects were then asked if they would like to learn more about the candidate. The study reveals that those who were exposed to positive information about the presidential candidates or already had positive emotions toward either of them were more likely to express their desire to learn more about the candidates. The findings are consistent with the “broaden‐and‐build theory of positive emotions,” which predicts an individual tendency to broaden their “thought‐action repertoires” when experiencing positive stimuli. Related Articles Craig, Stephen C., and Paulina S. Rippere. 2014. “Political Trust and Negative Campaigns: Two Tests of the Figure‐Ground Hypothesis.” Politics & Policy 42 (5): 693‐743. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12091 Nielson, Lindsay. 2017. “Ranked Choice Voting and Attitudes toward Democracy in the United States: Results from a Survey Experiment.” Politics & Policy 45 (4): 535‐570. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12212 Stokes‐Brown, Atiya Kai, and Melissa O. Neal. 2008. “Give ‘Em Something to Talk about: The Influence of Female Candidates’ Campaign Issues on Political Proselytizing.” Politics & Policy 36 (1): 32‐59. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2008.00093.x Related Media Danielsen, Shelby. 2014. “Political Ads: Negative vs. Positive.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5neWR6ZzTlM Hughes, Andrew. 2016. “Negative vs. Positive Political Advertising.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUyypda7PNs Krasa, Sandra. 2014. “Social Media and Political Campaigns – Youth Voting; Positive Messaging.” Interview with David Painter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxE2OGYhVvo Mensajes positivos como estímulo para la búsqueda de información sobre candidatos ¿Qué motiva a la gente para buscar información sobre candidatos durante las campañas? Nuestro estudio confronta la pregunta utilizando datos de una investigación experimental dirigida con una muestra de 1,421 entrevistados. Los participantes en el estudio fueron distribuidos aleatoriamente en cuatro grupos, pidiéndosela a cada uno que leyera uno de cuatro breves posicionamientos sobre la candidatura de Hillary Clinton o en su caso sobre la de Carly Fiorina, escritos en tono positivo o en su caso negativo. Los sujetos del estudio fueron luego consultados sobre si querían saber más sobre el candidato. El estudio revela que aquellos que fueron expuestos a información positiva de los candidatos o que ya tenían emociones positivas hacia alguno de los candidatos mostrarían interés en saber más de los candidatos. Los hallazgos del estudio son consistentes con una “amplía y construye teoría de las emociones positivas” que predice una tendencia individual del sujeto a ampliar sus “repertorios de pensamiento‐acción” cada vez que experimenta un estímulo positivo. 积极信息作为寻找候选人信息的动力 如果有的话，是什么能激励人们在竞选期间寻找有关候选人的信息？通过应用对1421个大学生主体进行的调查实验数据，本研究对这一疑问进行了检验。研究参与者被随机分为四组，每组成员被要求朗读用积极或消极笔调写下的，关于希拉里·克林顿 或卡丽·费奥瑞娜候选人身份的四句简短言论。研究主体随后被询问其是否在朗读后愿意进一步了解该候选人。研究显示，那些朗读了有关总统候选人积极信息的，或在此之前已经对两位候选人中的任意一个怀有积极情绪的那部分人，更有可能表达进一步了解候选人的意愿。研究结果与“积极情绪拓展建设理论”相一致，后者预测个人在经历积极刺激时会出现拓宽其“思想‐行动才能”的倾向。