Voting in Ignorance: The Politics of Smooth-Sounding Names

  1. Chris S. O'Sullivan1,*,
  2. Audrey Chen2,
  3. Simani Mohapatra3,
  4. Lee Sigelman4,
  5. Erik Lewis5

Article first published online: 31 JUL 2006

DOI: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1988.tb01195.x

Issue

Journal of Applied Social Psychology

Journal of Applied Social Psychology

Volume 18, Issue 13, pages 1094–1106, October 1988

Additional Information

How to Cite

O'Sullivan, C. S., Chen, A., Mohapatra, S., Sigelman, L. and Lewis, E. (1988), Voting in Ignorance: The Politics of Smooth-Sounding Names. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 18: 1094–1106. doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1988.tb01195.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    University of Kentucky

  2. 2

    San Diego State University

  3. 3

    University of Kentucky

  4. 4

    University of Arizona

  5. 5

    University of Louisville

*1 Correspondence concerning this article should be sent to Chris O'Sullivan, Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506–0044.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 31 JUL 2006
  2. Article first published online: 31 JUL 2006

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The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether the attractiveness of political candidates' names would influence voter preferences, both when only the names were known and when politically relevant information was provided. The names and platforms of candidates in an actual election in which victory was attributed to a name effect were used in a straw poll of undergraduate subjects. Results showed a clear name effect when only names were presented. However, abstention was also quite common in this condition. When candidates' issue positions were also described, the name effect faded to nonsignificance. The results highlight the efficacy of relevant information in overcoming spurious influences on decisions.

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