Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study examined the framing of causes and solutions by the Catholic Church and abuse victims during the Catholic priest abuse scandal in the Boston Archdiocese from 2001-2003. A random sample of news articles from The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald was analyzed according to source, frame, valence, and thematic or episodic mentions. The analyzed stories were then compared both within the newspaper and between the newspapers.

Publication Type: Proceeding
Abstract: Building on recent work in evolutionary psychology, we predict that there should be substantial gender differences in demand for “tabloid” news. Specifically, we argue that viewers are motivated to seek out negative information about potential intrasexual competitors, even when those competitors are “virtual” competitors appearing in mass media. Therefore, we predict that male viewers should be disproportionately likely to seek out information that damages the power and status of male competitors, whereas female viewers should seek information that diminishes the apparent attractiveness of female competitors.

We test this prediction in two ways. First, we conducted a content analysis and aggregate statistical analysis of national opinion data regarding news attention. Second, we conducted a news menu experiment in which participants were asked to select and read the two most interesting stories from a menu of six headlines. The experiment was a 2 (Gender of viewer) X 2 (Gender of competitor) X 2 (Party affiliation of competitor) design, in which each group saw one of the headlines promoting a DUI arrest of an attractive male or female “rising star” from each of the two political parties. We find very strong results for male respondents, and somewhat weaker results for female respondents. We also find a strong positive correlation between respondents’ self-assessed attractiveness and the likelihood of seeking and distributing negative information about same-sex “virtual” competitors.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: As homosexuality has gained increased visibility in mainstream media and public discourse, public figures who do not acknowledge their homosexuality are often the subject of gossip and rumors. Full-fledged scandals erupt when public figures who have previously denied being gay are found out to be gay—either because they have been caught in an illegal activities, sold out by a lover, or trapped by the media.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper is interested in the emotionality of voters' reactions to a scandal. Two questions are addressed: 1) how do voters react emotionally to political scandals, and 2) what is the influence of their emotional reactions on political evaluations

Publication Type: Proceeding
Abstract: Past research indicates that what voters know about political candidates plays a crucial role in shaping their reactions to political predicaments. A strong reputation can save politicians, operating as a protective shield. In addition, party bonds protect to some degree candidates from the negative results of scandals (Capelos, 2002). There is however an emotional side to how people react to negative events. Most voters experience emotions, which have an impact on their evaluations. But while some get disgusted and angry, others get irritated and uneasy. That is because anger displays follow a negative event when attributions of responsibility are strong, while uneasiness is elicited when attributions of responsibility for a negative event are weak (Conover and Feldman, 1986). This paper is interested in the emotionality of voters’ reactions. Three questions are addressed: 1) how do citizens develop feelings towards political candidates, 2) how do they react emotionally to political scandals, and 2) what is the influence of their emotional reactions on political evaluations.
I report the results of a computerized experiment in which participants evaluate a fictional candidate implicated in a financial scandal. I vary the candidate’s personality and party affiliation, along with the seriousness of the scandal, and study the pattern of negative emotions as they develop. My results show that feelings interact with thinking and influence political behavior in a scandal context. Studying the nature of emotional reactions can add considerably to our understanding of how political scandals impact political evaluations.