New psychology research suggests voters respond more to feelings than facts

New psychology research suggests voters respond more to feelings than facts

A recent study published in Frontiers in Political Science provides evidence that emotions influence voting decisions more strongly than policy preferences. By analyzing data from five United States presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, the researchers found that voters are not only swayed by how closely a candidate’s views align with their own, but also by how the candidate makes them feel. Emotional reactions—especially positive feelin…