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Visual Cues and the Candidate Evaluation Process

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The Social Psychology of Politics

Abstract

There was a time when politicians conveyed their message to the American public predominantly through newspaper and radio communication. This is no longer the case today. Most American citizens encounter political events through their television sets, and television news plays a central role in bringing political events to the attention of the American electorate (Ansolabeher, Behr, & Iyengar, 1993). The increasing importance of television has influenced many facets of the political communication process. For one thing, politicians must learn to project a positive image if they are to succeed in gaining (and maintaining) their political office. As noted by Masters, Frey, & Bente (1991), television emphasizes the visible and especially nonverbal cues of political leadership. Given these considerations, it is not surprising that President Reagan sought the expertise of Tuesday Team Incorporated—a prominent Madison Avenue group that specializes in creating attractive televised images.

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Ottati, V.C., Deiger, M. (2002). Visual Cues and the Candidate Evaluation Process. In: Ottati, V.C., et al. The Social Psychology of Politics. Social Psychological Applications to Social Issues. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0569-3_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0569-3_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5136-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-0569-3

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