Political leadership, a quasi-experimental study of Peruvian voters’ emotional reaction and visual attention to political humor

Abstract

Political humor is a wise communicative strategy for politicians to use. However, previous research has not linked politicians’ use of political humor with voter’s emotional reaction and visual attention. Two experiments were conducted using facial expression analysis and eye-tracking technology to record the emotional reaction and visual attention of participants while watching one of the two presidential debates broadcast during the second round of the 2016 presidential election campaign in Peru. Results showed that voters’ educational level, candidates’ facial expressions while expressing the political humor, the type of camera shot displayed and the debate’s audience laughs influence voter’s positive emotional reaction and visual attention to instances of political humor.