(De)activating Populism through Emotions Allison Adams, Ethan Busby, David Doyle, Joshua Gubler, Kirk Hawkins, Fred Tan, Nina Wiesehomeier
Research Question Other studies show that populism is associated with anger and, to a lesser degree fear. This suggests the potential for emotional reasoning. Will aroused emotions independently sharpen—or reduce—populism?
Pilot Design I MTurk sample, June 2017, N=155 Populism index I (Bruno et al., 9 questions, 7-pt scale) Stance on immigration Demographic filler, attention check Emotion prime (none, anger, excitement, fear) Larry narrative Elaboration task Emotions measure Populism index II
Stance on Immigration Pilot I: 4-item scale Pilot II: feeling thermometer
Immigration Larry In 2015, the United States accepted approximately 2 million immigrants. The total number of immigrants living in the US now accounts for 13% of the population. These two factors combined have had a profound influence on Americans all over the country - to further illustrate this situation to you, we'd like to tell you about the experience of someone who has been affected by these economic and social changes. Larry has lived in the state of Washington all his life and just between 2010 and 2015, Washington saw about a 60% increase in the number of immigrants residing in the state. Larry notes that politicians in his hometown rely heavily on the votes of the Hispanic community. Strategically, maintaining Hispanic support is key to staying in power. Consequently, local representatives instructed the police chief not to arrest or deport illegal immigrants, directly disobeying Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Emotion Prime We would like you to describe a time that you felt angry (excited/afraid). Please describe how you felt as vividly and in as much detail as possible. It is okay if you do not remember all the details. Just be specific about what exactly it was that made you angry and what it felt like to be angry. Take a few minutes to write out your answer. _______________________________
Emotion Prime Excited “I got a new CD, it was the first PVRIS record. It was so good, beyond my expectations. I was emotionally and physically excited while listening, my heart rate accelerated, my breathing was rapid and I was flooded with endorphins. So good.” Angry “i felt angry when people butted in front of me at the store the other day. it was very annoying.” “A person talking on their phone pulled out in front of me in heavy traffic and nearly hit me.” “I felt angry right now. You made it look like I finished this survey.”
Outcomes Elaboration task Emotions measure Populist attitude index II
Outcomes Who or what do you think has caused the situation Larry confronts, and what if anything should be done in response? _______________________________________ If you think back to Larry's experience, how does this situation make you feel? (Angry, Nervous, Inspired, Irritable, Excited, Afraid| 5-pt scale) Castanho Silva et al. index
Populist Attitude Index
Elaboration Task
Emotions Measure
Emotions Measure
Emotions Measure
Pilot Design II MTurk sample, September 2017, N=293 Populism index I (Bruno et al., 9 questions, 7-pt scale) Stance on immigration Demographic filler, attention check Emotion prime (anger, excitement, none) Larry narratives (immigration, on-hold) Elaboration task Emotions measure Populism index II
Stance on Immigration
Emotion Prime
Larry on Hold In 2016, Americans spent 900 million hours on hold. Over the course of a lifetime, the average American spends 43 days on hold. These two facts illustrate how the average consumer interacts with customer service over their lifetime and on a daily basis. To further explain this interaction, we would like to tell you about someone who has been affected by these facts. Larry lives in Zilla, Washington, as he has his whole life. He recently moved to a new home in town and consequently, his utility billing has changed. On the first day of the month, Larry received his new utility bill and discovered an error: he was charged for both his previous home and new home. He called his utility company to resolve the mistake; however, he was on hold for over an hour. Considering Larry lives in a small town, he is not sure why he was on hold for so long. After the long wait, Larry was connected to the right customer service agent, who resolved his billing issue. The correct parties were billed for the previous month's utilities.
Outcomes Elaboration task Emotions measure Populist attitude index II
Elaboration Task
Populist Attitude Index
Emotions Measure
Emotions Measure
Emotions Measure
Conclusion Not our main focus, but populist attitudes don’t seem to move very much Priming emotions doesn’t do much to populism, but it may move…emotions Different issues do more to move emotions