Atoning vs. evading when caught transgressing: two multi-theory-based experiments investigating strategies for politicians responding to scandal

• Published in: Human communication research Vol. 50; no. 4; pp. 545 - 560
• Main Authors: Clementson, David E, Zhao, Wenqing, Beatty, Michael J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.10.2024

Politicians tend to try deflecting scandals. Based on an attribution theory-driven perspective on persuasion, however, politicians should proactively confess. In a preregistered, multiple-message design, we conduct controlled, random assignment experiments. A mediation model is tested. Inspired by c...