TY - JOUR
T1 - Threat, authoritarianism, and voting
T2 - An investigation of personality and persuasion
AU - Lavine, Howard
AU - Burgess, Diana
AU - Snyder, Mark
AU - Transue, John
AU - Sullivan, John L.
AU - Haney, Beth
AU - Wagner, Stephen H.
PY - 1999/3
Y1 - 1999/3
N2 - The authors examined whether the influence of persuasive messages emphasizing reward versus threat was moderated by authoritarianism. Five days before the 1996 presidential election, participants (N = 86) received either a reward-related message (emphasizing the positive benefits of voting) or a threat-related message (emphasizing the negative consequences of failing to vote) recommending that they vote in the election. We found that high authoritarians perceived the threat message as stronger in argument quality than the reward message, and low authoritarians perceived the reward message as stronger in argument quality than the threat message. In turn, subjective perceptions of message quality exerted a direct influence on participants' postmessage attitudes toward voting in the election. Finally, behavioral intentions mediated the influence of voting attitudes on actual voting behavior. Discussion focuses on the implications of the message frame and authoritarianism.
AB - The authors examined whether the influence of persuasive messages emphasizing reward versus threat was moderated by authoritarianism. Five days before the 1996 presidential election, participants (N = 86) received either a reward-related message (emphasizing the positive benefits of voting) or a threat-related message (emphasizing the negative consequences of failing to vote) recommending that they vote in the election. We found that high authoritarians perceived the threat message as stronger in argument quality than the reward message, and low authoritarians perceived the reward message as stronger in argument quality than the threat message. In turn, subjective perceptions of message quality exerted a direct influence on participants' postmessage attitudes toward voting in the election. Finally, behavioral intentions mediated the influence of voting attitudes on actual voting behavior. Discussion focuses on the implications of the message frame and authoritarianism.
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U2 - 10.1177/0146167299025003006
DO - 10.1177/0146167299025003006
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0033443864
SN - 0146-1672
VL - 25
SP - 337
EP - 347
JO - Personality and social psychology bulletin
JF - Personality and social psychology bulletin
IS - 3
ER -