Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Previous work on civil appeals in both state and federal courts has been limited only to trials in which a formal judgment for one side is appealed by the opposing side. However, approximately 16% of all appeals do not fall into this category. To understand why appeals are pursued after a party prevails at trial we analyzed a unique subset of appeals using state court data from 46 of the 75 most populous counties in the United States in which an appeal was filed after a 2001 trial. In order to determine why the apparent winner of a trial would subsequently appeal the decision we examined the complexities of appeals including: issues raised on appeal, motions filed post-trial, types of claims made at trial, number of appellants pursuing an appeal compared to the number of litigants at trial, components of the awards, and the eventual outcome of the appeal.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The current study experimentally tested two types of common antitobacco television ad messages—those that contained a health threat about tobacco use (fear) and those that contained a negative graphic image (disgust)—on how viewers processed these messages. Informed by the Limited Capacity Model of Motivated Mediated Message Processing (LC4MP, A. Lang, 2006), we hypothesized that how well a message was processed depended on the type of emotional message content. In a 2 x 2 within-subjects experiment, participants watched antitobacco television ads that varied in the amount of fear and disgust content. The results of this study suggest that both fear and disgust content in antitobacco television ads have significant effects on resources allocated to encoding the messages and on recognition memory. Recognition was most accurate for messages that were high in fear but low in disgust. Messages that contained disgust were recognized faster than messages without, but having a disgusting image in a high-fear message decreased recognition latency. Secondary task reaction times indicated that the combination of fear and disgust reduced resources available for encoding compared to messages high in disgust but low in fear. The results are discussed in the context of coactivation theory and recommendations about message construction are offered to health campaign designers.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: We explore differences in House candidates’ campaign agendas across their websites and televised ads, comparing the size and scope of their on- and off-line agendas, their patterns of issue ownership and issue trespassing, and the nature of their issue claims. Our results, based on a sample of 132 candidates in the 2000 election, indicate that web and ad agendas are similar in a number of ways, but that differences do exist across the venues in the issues that candidates discuss and the ways in which they discuss them. These differences have important theoretical implications for our understanding of candidate behavior and campaign effects, as well as important practical implications for political communication researchers choosing venues for study.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Research concerning judicial decision-making and behavior has made substantial progress over the past several decades, in developing theoretical and empirical propositions that describe the processes shaping judicial policy. However, in comparison to literature on the Supreme Court, empirical research on the lower federal courts is less well developed. In general, there is a paucity of scholarly research in judicial behavior that explores the influence of changing public opinion on the decisions of lower federal court judges. The present study seeks to advance our understanding of lower federal court decision-making by exploring the impact of public opinion with reference to voting behavior on the U.S. Courts of Appeals. Specifically, the study utilizes a pooled cross-sectional time series model of U.S. Courts of Appeals decision-making, to explore the time-series dynamics of the relationship between courts of appeals decision-making and public opinion- both national and local public opinion. Other measures in the analysis include a measure of changing Supreme Court precedents, presidential ideology, majority composition in Congress, as well as, other external and internal influences on the decisions of these tribunals. The findings clearly demonstrate that courts of appeals justices are not sensitive to the current policy preferences of the public (both national and local). Instead the evidence suggests that it is the policy preferences of appeals courts judges themselves and other national policymakers, such as the president and Congress that are of the utmost importance in courts of appeals policy outputs.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The current study tried to explore reasons for the heterogeneous findings in sex appeal research from two perspectives: message factors and audience factors.
Study 1 took the message factor perspective and identified sex appeal as a multidimensional construct. A reanalysis of existing data was conducted. A path diagram of the relationships among sexual components was developed. Study 2 took the audience factor perspective and developed a path model to map how people process sex appeals. Based on results from Study 1, sex appeal was treated as a multi-dimensional variable and manipulated along three different dimensions. It extended our understanding of sex appeal effects by including believability and reptilian emotion as possible mediators of sexiness effects to track both the rational and emotional responses of the audience. A two (high vs. low sexiness) by two (high vs. low congruity) by two (model replication) by two (product replication) repeated measure design was used. Gender was identified as the major moderator variable. In general this study supported that female viewers tended to use an all-around integrated approach when thinking about sexy ads, whereas males used a more direct and straightforward approach. As a result, sex appeals produced positive influences on attitude toward the ad, attitude toward the brand and purchase intention for men but negative influences for women.