Human Behaviour as it is Associated with Various Political Theories - Essay Example

HERE YOUR HERE HERE HERE Critical Reply Paper The researcher is attempting to understand human behavior as it is associated with various political theories. Using a blend of psychological understandings along with various pre-existing research studies on how emotions can be triggered through political messages, the researcher develops a research study to find the inter-linkages between emotional responses and how behavior can be altered through exposure to political ads and the content chosen to sway candidate decision-making. This particular research study is non-biased in that the researcher examines the theoretical positions of previous researchers regarding human behavior, which often conflict in the literature review, to formulate the basis for an experimental study. For example, the researcher highlights the theoretical positions of other researchers when offering their unique view that televised political imagery simply does not provoke noticeable changes in voters even in the face of deliberate, staged imagery. However, these previous studies referred to and examined the opinion and voter behavior of citizens in the 1970s. Radical changes in voter behavior and the methodology by which politicians developed staged advertisements have shifted since this period, which the researcher identifies by highlighting the results of latter research studies conducted during a different time period in society. It is rather common knowledge that society, especially over a twenty year period, changes due to a variety of sociological reasons that could easily refute such outdated research findings. Again, the researcher approaches the pre-existing theories and literature on voter behavior with a non-biased perspective. This adds more validity to the constructs of research that this study is based upon by illustrating distinct viewpoints without prejudice or favoritism to one side or the other. The researcher just provides a necessary regurgitation of theories to expand outside of behavior and into the more complex elements of human emotions, since the pre-existing research studies did not identify human emotions in their study designs. The researcher also provides knowledge that it is his opinion that quantitative surveys simply cannot act as quality research instruments to uncover elements of complex human behavior and emotional response. Though he might argue that they can certainly express their current position regarding political campaigns and the candidates themselves, the catalyst for these decisions are likely drawn on exacting emotional responses that are unique and/or widespread with certain voter groups. In critical review, this acts as a launching point for the experimental design chosen that relies not on survey instruments, but through more qualitative means such as the chosen questionnaire. By providing this information about the limitations of surveying voter groups, and illustrating how these pre-existing studies seem to conflict with one another, it provides an opportunity to draw psychological theory into the chosen experimental design to discover the role of emotions in political choice. The researcher is realistic and identifies the psychological characteristics that would most likely create changes to voter behavior, these being anxiety, enthusiasm, and how the brain cognitively creates associations with pre-existing human experience. In critical review, the researcher competently draws in various theories on human emotional response to assist the reader in understanding the role of emotions associated with human action or inaction. When developing the study’s hypotheses, the researcher compiles the theorists’ positions regarding the role of emotions in individuals to formulate the premise that enthusiasm content in political advertisements should simply reinforce pre-existing voter values. This is drawn on the theoretical notion that positive images and content relating to success (rather than failure or fear) will be classified by the voters as non-threatening so as to motivate similar voter behaviors to those pre-existing. Based on the tendency of human beings to make behavioral changes when faced with a threatening or uncertain situation (supported by the research), the researcher hypothesizes that fear-related political ad content will create measurable changes to how voters seek information or change their political views. In virtually all respects, the hypotheses are based on concrete psychological premises and well-supported by current behavioral and emotional theories. The study’s design recruits random samples from different socio-economic backgrounds, with varying age groups identified in the population. This, again, adds more validity to the study’s methodology by not securing like groups that might share the same behavioral traits or pre-existing viewpoints about current political candidates. Though it was a product of circumstance in the choice of recruitment, 89 percent of the population consisted of white participants. In critical review, this did not seem to be a hindrance to the study and should not refute the study design validity. The researcher developed a well-defined pre-testing system that identified specific voter behaviors and their current views on news events and current events. This served as a template to understand the condition of their position immediately so that any changes to these opinions could be identified after the study’s completion and distribution of the post-test instruments. The goal of this study, in an effort to validate or refute the given hypotheses, was to understand whether emotional or behavioral changes were apparent (and to what degree) when exposed to various enthusiastic or fear-provoking political imagery. The study’s design was competent in virtually every detail, especially when removing verbal content from the music and imagery chosen as it seems that verbal content is most closely associated with cognition, making it difficult to discern emotion from rationalization processes. This study focused on emotions and their linkages to changing or static voter behaviors, therefore removing verbal content enhanced validity. The study absolutely supported the hypothesis that enthusiasm-based ad content reinforces current voter behaviors and beliefs about political campaigns. It was supported that such imagery creates more interest in the campaigns and can even create higher motivation to make citizens want to vote. In relation to the fear portion of the experiment, the researchers proposed mixed results, with fear not necessarily proven to radically alter information seeking. At the same time, the mixed results returned a much higher recall to the content participants were exposed to, paving the way for future research related to this particular element of voter behaviors and fear imagery. The research study also showed a measurable difference in participants’ tendency to hold onto pre-existing opinion regarding political issues when they were exposed to fear-based imagery. For the critical reader, this should again be considered a more valid study as the researcher provides these mixed reviews, therefore non-biased, by isolating weaknesses in hypothesis support rather than simply removing reader focus from this element’s uncertainty. This emphasis of mixed results should be considered a quality presentation of information that adds an element of reality instead of the reader believing that the researcher is simply focused solely on hypothesis support. Again, this adds improved validity in virtually every detail. The study provides an excellent volume of information to today’s political candidates, giving them opportunities to use fear-based imagery in order to sway pre-existing political opinion and voting behaviors. It lets these current or future candidates understanding that fear-evoking imagery has been largely proven to persuade candidates to seek more information while also changing what might be long-standing political thought. Since only non-verbal elements were included, it provides these candidates with opportunities to use more dramatic, fearful music in order to gain more voter support for their unique platforms or opinion. However, if these political candidates are attempting to use fear-based images simply to get voters to become more interested, there is no evidence for this and other tactics should be used. In almost every detail, the study’s methodology could not have been improved and, in the concluding sections, the researcher clearly identifies any weaknesses that might be associated with the data achieved. Human emotions are noted in the researcher’s concluding thoughts as being complicated and cannot be easily predicted or defined, even considering the quality of the data achieved. Bibliography Brader, Ted. “Striking a Responsive Chord: How Political Ads Motivate and Persuade Voters by Appealing to Emotions”. American Journal of Political Science. Vol. 49, No. 2, 2005, pp.388-405. Read More