ANXIETY, ENTHUSIASM, AND THE VOTE - THE EMOTIONAL UNDERPINNINGS OF LEARNING AND INVOLVEMENT DURING PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS

By incorporating emotionality, we propose to enrich information-proces sing models of citizens' behavior during election campaigns. We demons trate that two distinct dynamic emotional responses play influential r oles during election campaigns: anxiety and enthusiasm. Anxiety, respo nding to threat and novelty, stimulates attention toward the campaign and political learning and discourages reliance on habitual cues for v oting. Enthusiasm powerfully influences candidate preferences and stim ulates interest and involvement in the campaign. The findings support a theoretical perspective that regards cognitive and emotional process es as mutually engaged and mutually supportive rather than as antagoni stic. We suggest that the democratic process may not be undermined by emotionality as is generally presupposed. Instead, we believe that peo ple use emotions as tools for efficient information processing and thu s enhance their abilities to engage in meaningful political deliberati on.