Should women emote? Perceptual bias and opinion change in response to political ads for candidates of different genders

Abstract

Are responses to campaign advertisements for female political candidates more favorable when the emotional tone of the ad is neutral rather than negative or positive? Findings from an experiment indicate that, broadly speaking, neutral ads for women are perceived as more socially desirable. They also produce a smaller third-person effect and more favorable attitudes than emotional appeals, whether positive or negative. These findings are discussed in terms of their support for third-person effect theory and their practical implications for campaigners.