An exploration of the effects of negative political advertising on political decision making

Abstract

A total of 236 students participated in an experiment testing the effects of positive, negative, and negativecomparative political advertising on key variables in the political decision-making process. Participants exposed to negative advertising found it less useful for political decision making and were more negative toward political campaigns than were participants exposed to positive advertising. Negative political advertising had no effect on participants’ cynicism, efficacy, or apathy. The findings suggest that, though negative advertising contributes to citizens’ disgust with campaigns, this strategy does not automatically increase citizens’ cynicism or apathy. © 2002 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.