Abstract
This study identifies two forms of evaluative bias toward political objects — positivity and negativity — in addition to the familiar one of partisanship. Bias is measured, predominantly, using open-ended responses to questions on political parties in the NES studies. The incidence of varieties of evaluative orientation toward the parties over time, beginning in 1952, is reported; so also are demographic and cognitive correlates of evaluative bias. Finally, hypotheses on differential assimilation and contrast effects in candidate perception are tested.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
References
Granberg, Donald, and Edward E. Brent, Jr. (1974). “Dove-Hawk Placement in the 1968 Election.”Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 29: 687–695.
-- (1980). “Perceptions of Issue Positions of Presidential Candidates.”American Scientist (November–December): 617–625.
Jordan, Nehemiah (1965). “The ‘Asymmetry’ of ‘Liking’ and ‘Disliking’: A Phenomenon Meriting Further Reflection and Research.”Public Opinion Quarterly 39: 315–322.
Keith, Bruce E., David B. Magleby, Candice J. Nelson, Elizabeth Orr, Mark Wetlye, and Raymond E. Wolfinger (1977). “The Myth of the Independent Voter.” Paper delivered at the 1977 annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, D.C.
King, Michael (1978). “Assimilation and Contrast of Presidential Candidate's Issue Positions, 1972.”Public Opinion Quarterly 41: 515–522.
Lau, Richard R., David O. Sears, and Richard Centers (1979). “The ‘Positivity Bias’ in Evaluations of Public Figures: Evidence Against Instrument Artifacts.”Public Opinion Quarterly 43: 347–358.
Nie, Norman, Sidney Verba, and John R. Petrocik (1976).The Changing American Voter. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Page, Benjamin I. (1978).Choices and Echoes in Presidential Elections. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Page, Benjamin I., and Richard A. Brody (1972). “Policy Voting and the Electoral Process.”American Political Science Review 66: 979–995.
Page, Benjamin I., and Calvin C. Jones (1979). “Reciprocal Effects of Policy Preferences, Party Loyalties, and the Vote.”American Political Science Review 73: 1071–1089.
Rook, Karen S., David O. Sears, Donald R. Kinder, and Richard R. Lau (1978). “The ‘Positivity Bias,’ in Evaluations of Public Figures: Evidence Against Interpersonal Artifacts.”Political Methodology 5: 469–499.
Sears, David O. (1969). “Political Behavior.” In Gardner Lindsey and Elliot Aronson, eds.,Handbook of Social Psychology (rev. ed., Vol. 5). Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley.
Sears, David O., and Richard E. Whitney (1973). “Political Persuasion.” In Ithiel de Sola Pool, Wilbur Schramm, Frederick W. Frey, Nathan Maccoby, and Edwin B. Parker, eds.,Handbook of Communication. Chicago: Rand-McNally.
Selznick, Gertrude, and Stephen Steinberg (1969).The Tenacity of Prejudice. New York: Harper and Row.
Wattenberg, Martin P. (1980). “Decline of Political Parties: Negativity or Neutrality?” Paper delivered at American Political Science Association meeting, Washington, D.C.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sniderman, P.M., Brody, R.A., Siegel, J.W. et al. Evaluative bias and issue proximity. Polit Behav 4, 115–131 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987184
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987184
Keywords
- Political Party
- Contrast Effect
- Political Object
- Political Psychology
- Cognitive Correlate