Jenna N Laurin, Heather Terrell, and Shannon Hardy

University of North Dakota

Faculty Mentor: Heather Terrell

In a replication of Bauer’s (2015) study Emotional, Sensitive, and Unfit for Office? the authors extended the study to assess how message source may affect the perceptions of political candidates. In a 2 x 2 x 2 study, a sample of 216 participants read about a male or female candidate who was either presented neutrally or with stereotypical feminine traits, and the information was presented from either a neutral source or by the candidate’s opponent. Results indicate that candidates were rated higher on negative traits when described by the opponent source. Candidates were also rated lower on positive traits when described by their opponent. Male candidates were also rated as less qualified to serve in local elected office when they were described by their opponents, but when described by a neutral source, male candidates were rated as more qualified than female candidates to serve in local elected office.