PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

MU researchers determine televised presidential debates help moderates choose candidates

2013-11-07
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Jeff Sossamon
sossamonj@missouri.edu
573-882-3346
University of Missouri-Columbia
MU researchers determine televised presidential debates help moderates choose candidates

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Televised presidential debates have been a staple of the political landscape for more than 50 years. Starting in 1960 with John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon, debates have influenced popular opinion and have swayed voters in every election cycle since. Recent political commentary has focused on the release of a tell-all book outlining the painstaking presidential debate preparation both sides experienced during the 2012 electoral cycle and how those debates helped sway potential votes. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have determined that televised presidential debates do have important consequences on the attitudes of those who view them—specifically among apathetic or ambivalent voters.

Warner determined that televised presidential debates have important consequences on the attitudes of those who view them—specifically among apathetic or ambivalent voters.

"Viewing debates significantly increased polarization among those who go into the debate with very little candidate preference or attitude and have no strong opinions either way," said Ben Warner, assistant professor of communication who studies political conversation at MU. "The good thing is we feel that moderates make up the group of voters that needs to shift toward one candidate or another."

Data for this study were compiled from potential voters who viewed 12 presidential debates in the 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 presidential elections as well as the vice-presidential debates in 2008 and 2012. Those surveyed were asked their political attitudes pre- and post-debate. Most of those surveyed who had already chosen a candidate tended to stay the same; however, researchers found that after viewing presidential debates apathetic or ambivalent voters tended to have the highest shift in opinion leading them to gravitate toward one candidate. Additionally, these trends held no matter the outside influence, including the changing media landscape, personal social networks and even individual personality traits.

"Despite the white noise of social networks and media, debates truly do make a difference because they are the single biggest electoral event with the largest audience. Because both sides have equal time to make their cases, debates are the most balanced message voters receive over the course of a campaign," Warner said. "If debates move more moderates into the conversation and help get them more engaged in the political process that's a positive thing because it dilutes the vitriol usually associated with the electoral conversation."



INFORMATION:

Warner co-authored the study, "To unite and divide: the polarizing effect of presidential debates," with Mitchell McKinney, associate professor in the Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Science at MU. The article appeared in the journal Communications Studies in October 2013.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Saddling up against the threat to our National Parks

2013-11-07
Saddling up against the threat to our National Parks The growing threat to our National Parks from horse dung Research team leader, Associate Professor Catherine Pickering, said the Griffith study looked at the number and types of weed seeds which can be dispersed ...

BPA in dialysis machine components may be toxic to patients' cells

2013-11-07
BPA in dialysis machine components may be toxic to patients' cells Atlanta, GA (November 7, 2013)—Levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in components of dialysis machines may be toxic to the immune cells circulating in kidney failure patients' blood, according ...

Consuming more vegetable protein may help kidney disease patients live longer

2013-11-07
Consuming more vegetable protein may help kidney disease patients live longer Atlanta, GA (November 7, 2013)—Increased consumption of vegetable protein was linked with prolonged survival among kidney disease patients in a new a study. The findings will ...

Fountain-of-youth gene repairs tissue damage in adults

2013-11-07
Fountain-of-youth gene repairs tissue damage in adults Young animals recover from tissue damage better than adults, and from Charles Darwin's time until now, scientists have puzzled over why this is the case. A study published by Cell Press November 7th in the journal Cell ...

Social symptoms in autistic children may be caused by hyper-connected neurons

2013-11-07
Social symptoms in autistic children may be caused by hyper-connected neurons The brains of children with autism show more connections than the brains of typically developing children do. What's more, the brains of individuals with the most severe social symptoms are also ...

Kidney Week 2013: New approaches to assessing and protecting kidney health

2013-11-07
Kidney Week 2013: New approaches to assessing and protecting kidney health Atlanta, GA (November 7, 2013)—A variety of recent studies highlight new approaches to assessing and protecting kidney health. Below are the findings of some of these studies, ...

USC study identifies mechanism that makes ordinary stem cells create tumors

2013-11-07
USC study identifies mechanism that makes ordinary stem cells create tumors Epigenetic effects on cell signaling leads healthy stem cells to create benign fibromas in the jaw, according to a study led by Songtao Shi and published in the journal Cell Stem Cell A ...

Tricking algae's biological clock boosts production of drugs, biofuels

2013-11-07
Tricking algae's biological clock boosts production of drugs, biofuels Tricking algae's biological clock to remain in its daytime setting can dramatically boost the amount of valuable compounds that these simple marine plants can produce when they ...

Mayo Clinic researchers identify role of Cul4 molecule in genome instability and cancer

2013-11-07
Mayo Clinic researchers identify role of Cul4 molecule in genome instability and cancer ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that a molecule called Cul4 helps to deposit DNA-packaging histone proteins onto DNA, an integral step in cramming yards of genetic ...

Breakthrough discoveries on cellular regeneration seek to turn back the body's clock

2013-11-07
Breakthrough discoveries on cellular regeneration seek to turn back the body's clock Researchers reactivate gene to rejuvenate tissue repair, identify gene that promotes stem cell self-renewal DALLAS – Nov. 7, 2013 – Two groups of scientists at ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Capturability distinction analysis of continuous and pulsed guidance laws

CHEST expands Bridging Specialties Initiative to include NTM disease and bronchiectasis on World Bronchiectasis Day

Exposure to air pollution may cause heart damage

SwRI, UTSA selected by NASA to test electrolyzer technology aboard parabolic flight

Prebiotics might be a factor in preventing or treating issues caused by low brain GABA

Youngest in class at higher risk of mental health problems

American Heart Association announces new volunteer leaders for 2025-26

Gut microbiota analysis can help catch gestational diabetes

FAU’s Paulina DeVito awarded prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Champions for change – Paid time off initiative just made clinical trials participation easier

Fentanyl detection through packaging

Prof. Eran Meshorer elected to EMBO for pioneering work in epigenetics

New 3D glacier visualizations provide insights into a hotter Earth

Creativity across disciplines

Consequences of low Antarctic sea ice

Hear here: How loudness and acoustic cues help us judge where a speaker is facing

A unique method of rare-earth recycling can strengthen the raw material independence of Europe and America

Epilepsy self-management program shows promise to control seizures, improve mood and quality of life

Fat may play an important role in brain metabolism

New study finds no lasting impact of pandemic pet ownership on human well-being

New insights on genetic damage of some chemotherapies could guide future treatments with less harmful side effects

Gut microbes could protect us from toxic ‘forever chemicals’

Novel modelling links sea ice loss to Antarctic ice shelf calving events

Scientists can tell how fast you're aging from a single brain scan

U.S. uterine cancer incidence and mortality rates expected to significantly increase by 2050

Public take the lead in discovery of new exploding star

What are they vaping? Study reveals alarming surge in adolescent vaping of THC, CBD, and synthetic cannabinoids

ECMWF - delivering forecasts over 10 times faster and cutting energy usage by 1000

Brazilian neuroscientist reveals how viral infections transform the brain through microscopic detective work

Turning social fragmentation into action through discovering relatedness

[Press-News.org] MU researchers determine televised presidential debates help moderates choose candidates