Abstract
Recent work in cognitive processing and individual decision making has emphasized that individuals vary in the criteria they bring to bear to evaluate political objects. In this paper we argue that individual differences are but one piece of the decision-making puzzle, and that environmental factors are also important. Of particular interest to us is the idea that different candidates evoke different evaluative criteria. Using data from a 1984 sample of undergraduates and the 1980 National Election Study, we find evidence that political evocation effects do exist. This result has implications for understanding both the decision calculus of individuals and the collective rationality of the electorate.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Campbell, Angus, Converse, Philip E., Miller, Warren E., and Stokes, Donald E. (1960).The American Voter. New York: Wiley.
Converse, Philip E. (1964). The nature of belief systems in mass publics. In David E. Apter (ed.),Ideology and Discontent, pp. 206–261. New York: Free Press.
Gant, Michael M. (1983). Citizens' evaluations of 1980 presidential candidates: Influence of campaign strategies.American Politics Quarterly 11: 327–348.
Hamill, Ruth, Lodge, Milton, and Blake, Frederick (1985). The breadth, depth, and utility of class, partisan, and ideological schemata.American Journal of Political Science 29: 850–870.
Jacoby, William G. (1986). Levels of conceptualization and reliance on the liberal-conservative continuum.Journal of Politics 48: 423–432.
Knight, Kathleen (1985). Ideology in the 1980 elections: Ideological sophistication does matter.Journal of Politics 47: 828–853.
Lau, Richard R. (1986). Political schemata, candidate evaluations, and voting behavior. In Richard R. Lau and David O. Sears (eds.),Political Cognition, pp. 95–126. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Lau, Richard R., and Sears, David O. (1986).Political Cognition. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Lodge, Milton, and Tursky, Bernard (1979). Comparison between category and magnitude scaling of political opinion employing SRC/CPS items.American Political Science Review 73: 50–66.
Luskin, Robert (1987). Measuring political sophistication, or will someone here please turn on the lights?American Journal of Political Science 31: 856–899.
Mauser, Gary A. (1983).Political Marketing. New York: Praeger.
Miller, Arthur H., Wattenberg, Martin P., and Malanchuk, Oksana (1986). Schematic assessments of presidential candidates.American Political Science Review 80: 521–540.
Rabinowitz, George (1978). On the nature of political issues: Insights from a spatial analysis.American Journal of Political Science 22: 793–817.
Rabinowitz, George, Prothro, James W., and Jacoby, William (1982). Salience as a factor in the impact of issues on candidate evaluation.Journal of Politics 44: 41–63.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Macdonald, S.E., Prothro, J.W., Rabinowitz, G. et al. Political evocation and styles of candidate evaluation. Polit Behav 10, 117–135 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00991409
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00991409