ENG 102h
Dr. Sean Homer
12/04/2012
The Persuasiveness of Emotional Appeals in Campaign Ads
Annotated Bibliography
Brader, Ted. Campaigning for Hearts and Minds: How Emotional Appeals in Political Ads
Work. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006. Print.
The book examines the effect of emotional appeals in political advertising on
electoral decision making. The author argues that emotional appeals are more
persuasive for the politically informed and that enthusiasm ads are more effective
than fear ads. He also presents a survey of emotional appeals in various political
campaigns in support of his arguments. This is a very good source for evaluating the
role and effects of emotional appeals. I have come across other works by the author
before. The book is reliable as it is published by a large university press.
Brader, Ted. “Striking a Responsive Chord: How Political Ads Motivate and Persuade Voters
by Appealing to Emotions.” American Journal of Political Science 49.2 (2005): 388405. JSTOR. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article examines the ability of ad campaigns to manipulate emotions and change
political behavior. The author finds that images and music can cue emotions and
therefore alter the persuasive power of ads. The article is a good source for evaluating
the effects of emotional appeals on voting behavior. The article is reliable since it is
published in a refereed academic journal.
Brader, Ted, and Bryce Corrigan. “How the Emotional Tenor of Ad Campaigns Affects
Political Participation.” Dartmouth College, 2007. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The paper investigates the impact of emotional appeals in TV campaign ads on
participation in those campaigns. The authors focus on the particular features of the
ads and their connection with viewers’ response. They also separate mudslinging
from ad tone in general and estimate its effect separately. The authors suggest that
personal characteristics have an impact on motivation. The information is useful for
assessing the relationship between the tone of the campaign ads and their power to
persuade. However, the paper is only a draft and the authors warn that corrections
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have not been completed at this point. It is thus not very reliable and cannot be used
with absolute certainty.
Bülbül, Cenk, and Geeta Menon. “The Power Of Emotional Appeals In Advertising.”
Journal Of Advertising Research 50.2 (2010): 169-180. EBSCO. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The paper studies the attention drive of emotional appeals in comparison to functional
appeals in both the long-term and the short-term perspective. The authors argue for
distinguishing between concrete and abstract affect, which determines the overall
influence of affect on decision making. The information on the role of affect on shortand long-term decisions is applicable to campaign ads. The paper is reliable, since it
is published in a refereed academic journal.
Carraro, Luciana, and Luigi Castelli. “The Implicit and Explicit Effects of Negative Political
Campaigns: Is the Source Really Blamed?” Political Psychology 31.4 (2010):
617-645. Print.
The paper explores the potential effects of negative messages, differentiating between
negative ideological, person-based, and issue-based attacks. The authors suggest that
reliance on such messages links the source to negative content, but it also enhances
the power of the source. The information is useful for understanding how and why
negative campaigns increase support. It is reliable, since the paper is published in a
refereed academic journal.
Civettini, Andrew J. W., and David P. Redlawsk. “Voters, Emotions, and Memory.” Political
Psychology 30.1 (2009): 125-151. Print.
The article discusses the role of emotional response to campaign information in
electoral decision making. The authors find that voters are more likely to recall
information that evokes emotional response. They argue that in this aspect anxiety is
not more effective than enthusiasm or anger. The authors also consider a possible
connection between emotional response and accurate recall. The information is useful
for deciding whether emotionally charged campaigns on the whole are more
memorable and thus more effective. This source is reliable because the article is
published in a refereed academic journal.
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Danielson, J. Taylor, and Robin Stryker. “Political Knowledge, Persuasion, and Campaign
Rhetoric.” National Institute for Civil Discourse. National Institute for Civil
Discourse, Arizona Board of Regents, 30 Aug. 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article summarizes recent research findings on the relationship between political
sophistication, susceptibility to persuasion, and campaign rhetoric. The authors look
at the factors associated with different levels of political knowledge and the
consequences of those levels on voting behavior. This is a good source for evaluating
the persuasiveness of campaigns. The research brief is uploaded on an academic
website and the information is reliable.
Dermody, Janine, and Stuart Hanmer-Lloyd. “Promoting Distrust? A Chronicle Of The 2005
British General Election Advertising Campaigns.” Journal of Marketing Management
21.9/10 (2005): 1021-1047. EBSCO. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article compares the 2001 and 2005 campaign ads and the impact of attack
messages. The authors discuss voters’ trust in a given party and its ability to govern
the country, trying to explain voting decisions. The discussion of the creation of
engagement through negative campaign ads is useful for evaluating the
persuasiveness of emotional appeals in those ads. The article is published in a
refereed academic journal and it is reliable.
Dickinson, Sonia, and Matthew Holmes. “Understanding The Emotional And Coping
Responses Of Adolescent Individuals Exposed To Threat Appeals.” International
Journal of Advertising 27.2 (2008): 251-278. EBSCO. Web. 9 Apr. 2012..
The article examines threat appeals effectiveness in terms of behavioral change. The
authors argue that the influence of those appeals depends on the type and the level of
the threat, and on people’s emotional and coping response. The information is
applicable to the use of threat appeals in campaign ads and is useful for evaluating
their effectiveness. The article is reliable, as it is published in a refereed academic
journal.
Douglas T. Kenrick, et al. “Fear And Loving In Las Vegas: Evolution, Emotion, And
Persuasion.” Journal of Marketing Research 46.3 (2009): 384-395. EBSCO. Web.
9 Apr. 2012.
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The paper examines the influence of emotional contexts (TV programs) on the
effectiveness of persuasion heuristics. The authors argue that different emotions lead
to different interpretations of the same persuasive appeals. They also identify when
persuasion tactics have a negative effect. The information is useful for evaluating the
persuasiveness of campaign ads. The paper is published in a refereed academic
journal and it is reliable.
Druckman, James N., and Justin W. Holmes. “Does Presidential Rhetoric Matter? Priming
and Presidential Approval.” Presidential Studies Quarterly 34.4 (2004): 755-778.
JSTOR. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The paper examines the impact of presidential rhetoric on public approval. By
analyzing the 2002 State of the Union address, the authors find that priming can affect
the criteria on which citizens base their evaluations, and thus affect approval. As the
paper doesn’t focus explicitly on the effect of emotional appeals, the information
might not be useful. The paper is published in a refereed academic journal and it is
reliable.
Druckman, James N. “Priming the Vote: Campaign Effects in a U.S. Senate Election.”
Political Psychology 25.4 (2004): 577-594. JSTOR. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The paper examines the impact of the 2000 campaign for the U.S. Senate in
Minnesota on voting behavior. The author focuses on the role of campaign media
coverage in priming voters to rely on certain issues. He also claims that the results are
the first demonstration of priming effects outside the laboratory. The information is
useful for assessing campaign effects on electoral decision making in general and
thereafter for evaluating the role of emotional appeals. The paper is a reliable, since it
is published in a refereed academic journal.
Edwards, George C. On Deaf Ears: The Limits of the Bully Pulpit. New Haven: Yale
University Press, 2006. Print.
The book assesses the success of the persuasive and mobilizing efforts of presidents.
The author argues that presidents are often unable to change public opinion and
explains why “going public” might be counterproductive. This is a good source for
evaluating the reasons persuasion fails and for presenting a counter argument. The
author is an authority on the American presidency and has written extensively on the
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topic; I have come across his works before. The book is reliable, as it is published by
a university press.
Escalas, Jennifer E., and Marian C. Moore, Julie E. Britton. “Fishing for Feelings? Hooking
Viewers Helps!” Journal of Consumer Psychology 14.1/2 (2004): 105-114. JSTOR.
Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article examines how the individual, the ad, and their interface may explain
different emotional responses to ads. The authors argue that ads evoke emotions only
when the viewer is hooked and that hooking has a positive effect on viewers’ attitude
toward the ad. Although the article doesn’t discuss campaign ads in particular, the
information might be useful for evaluating viewers’ inclination to respond to
emotional appeals in campaign ads. The article is published in a refereed academic
journal and the information is reliable.
Franz, Michael, and Travis Ridout. “Does Political Advertising Persuade?.” Political
Behavior 29.4 (2007): 465-491. EBSCO. Web. 9 Apr. 2012..
The article examines advertising’s ability to persuade, using data from both highprofile and lower-profile U.S. Senate contests. The authors find that ads significantly
influence candidate evaluation but that influence depends on the viewer’s
characteristics (such as partisanship and political knowledge). As the article focuses
on campaign ads, the information is useful for evaluating their persuasiveness. The
article is reliable as it is published in a refereed academic journal.
Gross, Kimberly. “Framing Persuasive Appeals: Episodic And Thematic Framing, Emotional
Response, And Policy Opinion.” Political Psychology 29.2 (2008): 169-192. EBSCO.
Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article explores the impact of episodic and thematic framing on the overall
persuasiveness of appeals. The author finds episodic framing to be more emotionally
engaging and thematic framing - more persuasive, when the framing effect is taken
into account. The given examples of policy opinion might be useful for evaluating the
framing effect in campaign ads. The information is reliable, since the article is
published in a refereed academic journal.
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Gross, Kimberly, and Lisa D’Ambrosio. “Framing Emotional Response.” Political
Psychology 25.1 (2004): 1-29. JSTOR. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article investigates whether emotional response can be altered through framing.
The authors argue that context matters in emotional response because assessments
might be subject to framing effects. The information is useful for understanding the
reason behind different emotional responses and evaluating the effectiveness of
appeals. The article is reliable, since it is published in a refereed academic journal.
Han, Hahrie C. “Does the Content of Political Appeals Matter in Motivating Participation? A
Field Experiment on Self-Disclosure in Political Appeals.” Political Behavior 31.1
(2009): 103-116. EBSCO. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article studies how political motivation operates in relation to political appeals.
The authors compare the effect of a basic appeal and an experimental appeal which
reveals personal information. They find that people are more likely to respond to the
experimental appeal, because it triggers a liking heuristic. The information is useful
for deciding what makes emotional appeals effective. The article is published in a
refereed academic journal and it is reliable.
Hoegg, Joandrea, and Michael V Lewis. “The Impact Of Candidate Appearance An
Advertising Strategies On Election Results.” Journal of Marketing Research 48.5
(2011): 895-909. EBSCO. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article discusses the interaction between trait inferences and party affiliation. The
authors argue that distinct candidate traits can be communicated visually and that
voters associate different traits with each party. They then evaluate the effect of trait
inferences on voting behavior. The information is useful for understanding the factors
that make a campaign ad effective, besides emotional appeals. This will help evaluate
the persuasiveness of those appeals. The article is reliable, as it published in a
refereed academic journal.
Houser, Daniel, and Rebecca Morton, Thomas Strattman. “Turned On or Turned Out?
Campaign Advertising, Information and Voting.” European Journal of Political
Economy 27.4 (2011): 708-727. ScienceDirect. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article investigates the impact of campaign ad schemes on electoral participation.
The authors find that voters are turned off by interest group financed ads because
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those ads reduce voters’ payoffs. The discussion of the influence of information on
participation decisions might be useful for evaluating the role of informational
appeals in comparison to emotional appeals. The article is reliable, because it is
published in a refereed academic journal.
Huber, Gregory A., and Kevin Arceneaux. “Identifying The Persuasive Effects Of
Presidential Advertising.” American Journal Of Political Science 51.4 (2007): 957977. EBSCO. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The paper explores the effects of campaign ads, isolating them from other campaign
activities. The authors argue that the engagement and informational effects are
insignificant, but the persuasive effect is consistent. They also offer two explanations
for that persuasive effect. The information is useful for understanding how and why
campaign ads influence decision making and for evaluating the role of emotional
appeals. The paper is published in a refereed academic journal and it is reliable.
Huddy, Leonie, and Anna H. Gunnthorsdottir. “The Persuasive Effects of Emotive Visual
Imagery: Superficial Manipulation or the Product of Passionate Reason?” Political
Psychology 21.4 (2000): 745-778. Print.
The paper offers two explanations about the effects of emotional visual appeals. The
authors argue that transfer-of-affect works best among politically unsophisticated
citizens, whereas passionate reason affects highly involved citizens. They also include
a summary of the theories on the role of affective symbols in persuasion. The
information is useful for assessing the influence of affect and reason on reactions to
appeals and thus for evaluating the potential persuasiveness of those appeals. The
paper is uploaded on an academic website and is also published in a refereed
academic journal, so the information is reliable. The research, however, is not recent.
Jerit, Jennifer. “Survival of the Fittest: Rhetoric During the Course of an Election
Campaign.” Political Psychology 25.4 (2004): 563-575. EBSCO. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article discusses the types of emotional appeals used in campaigns and the
various reasons for their usage. The author suggests that arguments evoking fear,
anger and anxiety are more enduring, but others eliciting positive emotions will be
needed to establish credibility and win the support of the voters. This is a good source
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for investigating the role and effectiveness of emotional appeals in campaigns. The
information is reliable, as it is published in a refereed academic journal.
Jones, Philip E., and Lindsay H. Hoffman, Dannagal G. Young. “Online Emotional Appeals
and Political Participation: The Effect of Candidate Affect on Mass Behavior.”
Experts at University of Delaware. University of Delaware, 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The paper examines the role of emotional appeals expressed by candidates, focusing
on the question which voters are more likely to be influenced by those appeals. The
authors find that appeals significantly increase support among politically sophisticated
citizens. The information is useful for assessing the persuasiveness of emotional
appeals. However, the article is still under review and has only been presented at the
2010 APSA. The author has other published works on voting behavior, but I wouldn’t
rely on the information in this article too much.
Kam, Cindy D. “Political Campaigns and Open-Minded Thinking.” The Journal of Politics
68.4 (2006): 931-945. JSTOR. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article challenges the portrayal of campaigns as necessary evils. The author
argues that campaigns encourage open-minded thinking and hold candidates
accountable to voters, thus strengthening democracy. The discussion is not related to
the topic of the role of emotional appeals, but it does provide a different point of
view, which can be useful. The information is reliable since it is published in a
refereed academic journal.
Lupia, Arthur, and Jesse O. Menning. “When Can Politicians Scare Citizens Into Supporting
Bad Policies?” American Journal of Political Science 53.1 (2009): 90-106. JSTOR.
Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article develops a game theoretic model to address the question in the title. The
authors find that a politician’s ability to manipulate citizens through fear is
constrained by citizen’s psychology. Even though the article doesn’t focus on
electoral decision-making, the discussion of the limited effectiveness of fear appeals
can be useful. The information is reliable, since it is published in a refereed academic
journal.
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Martin, Paul S. “Inside the Black Box of Negative Campaign Effects: Three Reasons Why
Negative Campaigns Mobilize.” Political Psychology 25.4 (2004): 545-562. JSTOR.
Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The paper discusses the influence of negative ads on voting motivation and explores
the various theories of the causal mechanisms. The author also includes a summary of
the contradictory findings on the topic. He suggests that negative ads increase
political participation. The information is useful for deciding whether, and in what
aspects, negative ads are more effective than positive ones. The paper is published in
a refereed academic journal and is reliable.
Martinez, Andrea. “Framing Emotional Appeals in Campaign Communication.” Department
of Political Science. University of Southern California, n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The paper studies how campaign framing can manipulate the Latino electorate’s
emotional reactions and policy opinions. The author finds that thematic frames that
stress the negative effects of illegal immigration racial evoke the strongest sympathy
among Americans. The information is useful in relation to the effects of emotional
appeals. However, the paper is not published in an academic journal and the author
doesn’t seem to be an authority on the topic. From what I could find, I suppose this is
an undergraduate research paper, so the source might not be reliable.
Obermiller, Carl, and Eric Spangenberg, Douglas L. MacLachlan. “Ad Skepticism: The
Consequences of Disbelief.” Journal of Advertising 34.3 (2005): 7-17. JSTOR. Web.
9 Apr. 2012.
The paper investigates the influence of ad skepticism on consumers’ responses to
advertising. The authors argue that skeptical consumers find claims in ads less
believable and informative, and have lower intentions to purchase the product. They
also find that ad skeptics are more likely to be persuaded by emotional, rather than by
informative appeals. Again, the paper doesn’t focus on campaign ads, but the
information can be useful for assessing viewers’ susceptibility to be persuaded by
emotional appeals. The information is reliable, as the paper is published in a refereed
academic journal.
Redlawsk, David P. “The Affective Tipping Point: Do Motivated Reasoners Ever ‘Get It’?”
Political Psychology 31.4 (2010): 563-593. Print.
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The article examines the capability of incongruent information to overcome motivated
reasoning and enhance voters’ learning. The authors argue that existing affect toward
a candidate has an impact on correct evaluation updates. They also demonstrate the
existence of a tipping point at which voters abandon emotional reasoning. The
information is useful for evaluating the overall influence of negative messages and
their persuasive power. The article is published in a refereed academic journal and it
is reliable.
Redlawsk, David P. “Hot Cognition or Cool Consideration? Testing Effects of Motivated
Reasoning on Political Decision Making.” The Journal of Politics 64.4 (2002): 10211044. JSTOR. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article discusses the impact of affective biases on information processing. The
author suggests that voters with different goals will acquire and process incongruent
information differently, and show different levels of support. Again, the article
focuses on voters’ emotions, instead of voters’ response to emotional appeals, so the
information might not be very useful. The article is published in a refereed academic
journal and is therefore reliable, but it is not recent.
Redlawsk, David P, and Andrew Civettini, Richard R. Lau. “Affective Intelligence and
Voting: Information Processing and Learning in a Campaign.” Department of
Political Science. University of Iowa, 9 Mar. 2005. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The paper investigates the role of candidate preference in triggering affective
responses and the level of congruency leading to voter learning. The authors find that
anxiety doesn’t enhance learning for rejected candidates, regardless of the threat level
and that anger and enthusiasm generate mixed effects. As the paper focuses on the
voters’ emotions toward a given candidate, and not on their response to emotional
appeals by that candidate, the information might not be very useful. The analysis is
not reliable, since the paper is a draft.
Ridout, Travis N., and Kathleen Searles. “It’s My Campaign I’ll Cry if I Want to: How and
When Campaigns Use Emotional Appeals.” Political Psychology 32.3 (2011): 439458. Print.
The article examines when campaigns resort to using emotional appeals and whether
leading and trailing candidates are equally likely to use emotional appeals. The
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authors suggest that certain appeals target the existing supporters, while others try to
influence undecided voters. They also argue that different types of appeals are used at
different points of campaigns. This is a good source for evaluating the working
mechanisms of emotional appeals. The article is published in a refereed academic
journal and the information is reliable.
Ridout, Travis N., and Michael M. Franz. “The Role of Campaign Advertising.” The
Persuasive Power of Campaign Advertising. Philadelphia: Temple University Press,
2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The chapter discusses the impact of advertising on votes. The author offers an
overview of the literature on the topic and explains the lack of consensus among
scholars. This particular chapter provides some useful background information, but it
doesn’t address the role of emotional appeals in advertising. However, I am unable to
find the book itself and the first chapter is the only excerpt given by the author. It is
an otherwise reliable source, since it is published by a university press, and the author
has other works on media and politics.
Taute, Harry A., Shaun McQuitty, and Elise Pookie Sautter. “Emotional Information
Management And Responses To Emotional Appeals.” Journal Of Advertising 40.3
(2011): 31-43. Print.
The paper proposes that response to emotional ads depend on the perceiver’s ability to
manage emotional information. The authors evaluate emotional information
management as a personal trait and examine its role in the processing of persuasive
messages. This is a good source for evaluating the overall persuasiveness of
emotional appeals in advertising. The article is published in a refereed academic
journal and it is reliable.
Wolak, Jennifer, and George E. Marcus. “Personality and Emotional Response: Strategic and
Tactical Responses to Changing Political Circumstances.” Annals of the American
Academy of Political and Social Science 614 (2007): 172-195. JSTOR. Web.
9 Apr. 2012.
The paper investigates the connection between personality and affective response.
The authors argue that legitimate political decisions are not always the result of a
deliberative process. They also find that personal traits affect emotional engagement,
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especially in the face of policy threats. The information is useful for evaluating the
dependence of emotional appeals on personality and their subsequent effectiveness.
The paper is published in a refereed academic journal and is reliable.
Zarefsky, David. “Presidential Rhetoric and the Power of Definition.” Presidential Studies
Quarterly 34.3 (2004): 607-619. JSTOR. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.
The article discusses the understanding of the term “presidential rhetoric” and uses
eight case studies as examples for the success and the failure of presidential rhetoric.
While the authors discuss the ability of rhetoric to alter social perceptions, the
information is not very useful as it doesn’t focus on campaigns and doesn’t focus on
emotional appeals. The article is otherwise reliable, as it is published in a refereed
academic journal.
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