Dr Sara Binzer Hobolt awarded British Academy Small Research Grant

Dr Sara Binzer Hobolt has been awarded a British Academy Small Research Grant for The Emotional Voter. An Experimental Test of the Impact of Emotions on British Electoral Behaviour. The project will run from 1 September 2010 to 31 January 2012.

Most theories of voting behaviour assume that citizens act as rational voters. Yet, human behaviour is driven by emotion (affect) as well as cognition (reason). Moreover, electoral campaigns are often designed to influence voters by appealing to their emotions. Thus, in order to better understand why people vote the way they do, the role of emotions needs to be studied further. Building on the

theory of affective intelligence, this project examines the role of emotions in the context of the 2010 British general election. By using controlled laboratory experiments, the project aims to clarify what impact emotions, such as fear and enthusiasm, have on voter participation and party choice. Also, by analysing the effect of campaign techniques, we examine how electoral campaigns shape vote choice and turnout. Finally, this study aims to further develop the theory of the link between affective intelligence and voting behaviour.