Model of Behavioral Strategies for Coping with Party Ambivalence

Abstract

This article explores the antecedents and behavioural consequences of party ambivalence in an election context, in which both abstract factors (e.g. feeling stranded in an ideological fight) and concrete factors (e.g. dissatisfaction with both parties’ ability to handle economic issues) may arouse party ambivalence. Prior research reports different voting behaviours by ambivalent and univalent voters, though no coherent theoretical framework exists to explain these findings. To address that gap, the current article proposes a Model of Behavioural Strategies for Coping with Party Ambivalence, according to which ambivalent voters deal with the anticipated regret associated with making the wrong choices by adopting one of three coping strategies. First, they may avoid voting, because inaction is associated with less anticipated regret than action. Second, they may deny full responsibility by splitting their ticket. Third, they might attempt to reduce anticipated regret by jumping on the bandwagon and voting for a projected winner. Applications of the model to the 2016 Taiwanese presidential election provide support for these predictions.