Perceived negativity in British general election communications

Milazzo, Caitlin; Ryan, John Barry

Abstract

British parties – and their candidates – frequently engage in the use of negative messaging. While previous studies shed light on the frequency and source of such messages, we know less about how negative messages are received. In this research note, we present the results of a pilot survey designed investigate perceptions of the different types of messages that political elites use to discuss their opponents. Our preliminary results suggest that there is significant variation in the perceived negativity of messages, with messages referencing specific individuals being more likely to be perceived to be negative.

Citation

Milazzo, C., & Ryan, J. B. (2024). Perceived negativity in British general election communications. Electoral Studies, 92, Article 102863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2024.102863

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 10, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Sep 16, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-12
• Deposit Date: Sep 17, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 18, 2024
• Journal: Electoral Studies
• Print ISSN: 0261-3794
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-6890
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 92
• Article Number: 102863
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2024.102863
• Keywords: Negative messaging, British elections, Political communication, Coding survey
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/39718880
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261379424001215?via%3Dihub
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Perceived negativity in British general election communications; Journal Title: Electoral Studies; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2024.102863; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.