Salient voters in the lab
Salient voters in the lab
Standard spatial voting theory models voters looking at each candidate separately and then casting a ballot for the one that maximizes their utility. On the contrary, salience theory predicts that choices will depend on the contest within which choices are made, voters' attention being drawn to some attributes that stand out for being 'salient', i.e., "odd", "different" or "focal". We design a within and a between-subjects experiment where voters cast their ballot for one of two candidates that are valued in terms of their policy choices, as well as a non-policy attribute, that we call valence. By manipulating the valence attribute, we test whether observed choices are consistent with salience theory against the benchmark of rational voting. Our experimental results suggest that they do so: voters display a significant level of salient behaviour, i.e., their choices favours the more valent candidate, even though the valence differential between the two candidates is unchanged by design.
Keywords: Voting behavior; Valence; Salience; Policy; Experiment.
Ianni, Antonella
35024f65-34cd-4e20-9b2a-554600d739f3
Ianni, Antonella
35024f65-34cd-4e20-9b2a-554600d739f3
Ianni, Antonella
(2018)
Salient voters in the lab
Record type:
Monograph
(Discussion Paper)
Abstract
Standard spatial voting theory models voters looking at each candidate separately and then casting a ballot for the one that maximizes their utility. On the contrary, salience theory predicts that choices will depend on the contest within which choices are made, voters' attention being drawn to some attributes that stand out for being 'salient', i.e., "odd", "different" or "focal". We design a within and a between-subjects experiment where voters cast their ballot for one of two candidates that are valued in terms of their policy choices, as well as a non-policy attribute, that we call valence. By manipulating the valence attribute, we test whether observed choices are consistent with salience theory against the benchmark of rational voting. Our experimental results suggest that they do so: voters display a significant level of salient behaviour, i.e., their choices favours the more valent candidate, even though the valence differential between the two candidates is unchanged by design.
Keywords: Voting behavior; Valence; Salience; Policy; Experiment.
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In preparation date: 2018
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Local EPrints ID: 469091
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/469091
PURE UUID: edf070c0-d38e-444c-8089-867aa8358b67
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Date deposited: 06 Sep 2022 18:12
Last modified: 07 Sep 2022 01:35
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