Partisan and/or Gender Homophily: The Influence of Social Identity-Based Elaboration on Political Candidate Evaluation

Abstract

Employing social identity theory, this study explores the interaction of gender and party variables in political elections. We used an experimental approach with a two (man/woman) x two (Republican/Democrat) design, in which participants viewed a political website, to assess the influence of shared and competing identities in candidate evaluations as well as the mechanisms of influence. Upholding previous findings, we found that a candidate’s partisan identity carried significantly more weight than their gender identity. Extending previous findings, results reveal that shared identities increase feelings of homophily, which biases elaboration about the candidate. This identity-biased elaboration influences attitudes and voting decisions.

Keywords:

• Elaboration
• Homophily
• Partisan Identity
• Political Websites
• Social Identity Theory; 
• Women Candidates

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Center for Communication Research, Department of Communication, University of Arkansas .

Notes on contributors

Freddie J. Jennings

Freddie J. Jennings (PhD, University of Missouri) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Arkansas. His research investigates identity motivated elaboration, communication and technology, and political cognition.

Meredith Neville-Shepard

Meredith Neville-Shepard (PhD, University of Kansas) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Arkansas. She is a feminist rhetorical scholar whose research examines popular culture, political discourse, and bodily argument.

Dani Jackson

Dani B. Jackson (M.A., University of Arkansas) is an instructor in the Department of Communication and a marketing and communication specialist for the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Arkansas.