Negative and positive partisans' responses to the 2020 presidential election. Issue 1 (1st September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Salvatore, Jessica; Jones, Lauren; Spence, Macy; Mills, Rachael; Bolling, Janie; Dunlap, Cora
• Is Part Of: Analyses of social issues and public policy. Volume 21:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 398
• Page End: 414
• Publication Date: 2021-09-01
• Subjects: fundamental needs -- negative partisanship -- sociopolitics; Social policy -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 361.6105
• DOI: 10.1111/asap.12267
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1529-7489

Abstract

Abstract: In the wake of past U.S. Presidential elections, voters supporting the losing side have shown a social pain response. In this paper we demonstrate that these findings held again in the 2020 election, helping to confirm that it is the voting experience itself that matters (since the 2020 losing‐side voters were winning‐side voters in the previous election). In prior elections, this pattern was most evident among strong positive partisans; we report mixed support for this in the 2020 election. Using a new graphical measure of negative partisanship, we were able to compare the experiences of negative versus positive partisans. Strong negative partisanship appears to act as a 'hedge' by buffering voters who wind up on the losing side of an election from social pain.