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Gender Stereotypes, Information Search, and Voting Behavior in Political Campaigns

Ditonto, Tessa M.; Hamilton, Allison J.; Redlawsk, David P.

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Authors

Allison J. Hamilton

David P. Redlawsk



Abstract

It is still unclear exactly how gender influences vote choice. Using an information processing perspective, we argue that instead of directly influencing vote choice, candidate gender guides the amounts and types of information that voters search for during a campaign, and that effects of gender on vote choice ultimately come from differences in information search influenced by candidate gender. Using two unique experimental datasets, we test the effects of candidate gender on vote choice and information search. We find that subjects change their search based on a candidate’s gender, seeking out more competence-related information about female candidates than they do for male candidates, as well as more information related to “compassion issues.” We also find that evaluations of candidates’ traits and issue positions are important predictors of subjects’ vote choice.

Citation

Ditonto, T. M., Hamilton, A. J., & Redlawsk, D. P. (2014). Gender Stereotypes, Information Search, and Voting Behavior in Political Campaigns. Political Behavior, 36(2), 335-358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-013-9232-6

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date May 14, 2013
Publication Date 2014
Deposit Date Dec 5, 2019
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Political Behavior
Print ISSN 0190-9320
Electronic ISSN 1573-6687
Publisher Springer
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 36
Issue 2
Pages 335-358
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-013-9232-6

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