A Study of How White Voters Evaluate the Anger Expressions of Male and Female, Racially Diverse Candidates
Presenter Type
UNO Graduate Student (Masters)
Major/Field of Study
Political Science
Advisor Information
Associate Professor of Political Science
Location
MBSC306 - G (Masters)
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
24-3-2023 10:30 AM
End Date
24-3-2023 11:45 AM
Abstract
The ways in which political candidates present themselves to voters can significantly impact their evaluations (e.g. Brooks 2013). In particular, candidates’ emotional expressions can have strong effects on election outcomes as prospective voters make inferences, and vote, based on these expressions (e.g. Fridkin and Kenney 2011). Existing research on how the race and gender of a candidate affect these inferences is lacking. Taking anger as a starting point, we hypothesize that white male candidates are penalized less by white voters when expressing anger, compared to females and racial minorities. Using Prolific, we conducted two randomized bloc design experiments during the summer and fall of 2022, with which we manipulated both gender and race (white, black or Latino). The first experiment either withheld describing the anger expression (as the control condition) or described the candidate expressing anger. The second experiment included the control condition, but then varied the level of anger expression -- as either high or low. The articles given to respondents were designed to mimic on-line news articles, concerning a fictional candidate in the 2022 midterm election, and we used the anger manipulations from Deborah Jordan Brooks (2013). The results show that white male candidates are penalized the least by white voters for expressing anger, and that white racial identity and negative stereotypes play powerful roles in understanding this.
Scheduling
10:45 a.m.-Noon, 1-2:15 p.m., 2:30 -3:45 p.m.
A Study of How White Voters Evaluate the Anger Expressions of Male and Female, Racially Diverse Candidates
MBSC306 - G (Masters)
The ways in which political candidates present themselves to voters can significantly impact their evaluations (e.g. Brooks 2013). In particular, candidates’ emotional expressions can have strong effects on election outcomes as prospective voters make inferences, and vote, based on these expressions (e.g. Fridkin and Kenney 2011). Existing research on how the race and gender of a candidate affect these inferences is lacking. Taking anger as a starting point, we hypothesize that white male candidates are penalized less by white voters when expressing anger, compared to females and racial minorities. Using Prolific, we conducted two randomized bloc design experiments during the summer and fall of 2022, with which we manipulated both gender and race (white, black or Latino). The first experiment either withheld describing the anger expression (as the control condition) or described the candidate expressing anger. The second experiment included the control condition, but then varied the level of anger expression -- as either high or low. The articles given to respondents were designed to mimic on-line news articles, concerning a fictional candidate in the 2022 midterm election, and we used the anger manipulations from Deborah Jordan Brooks (2013). The results show that white male candidates are penalized the least by white voters for expressing anger, and that white racial identity and negative stereotypes play powerful roles in understanding this.