Document Type
Honors Project
Abstract
I designed a two pronged study to explore the relationship between femininity in candidate self- presentation and voter perception. First, I presented a sample of U.S. voters a series of images featuring either feminine or non-feminine female professionals. I then selected two images from this study to design two faux print political advertisements, one featuring a feminine candidate and one featuring a non-feminine candidate to establish a treatment and control condition featuring similarly “attractive” candidates. Then, I showed a quasi-representative sample of 540 potential U.S. voters one of these faux political advertisements and asked a series of questions regarding the female political candidate’s perceived personality, competence, and viability. My results suggest that participants perceive the feminine candidate as more viable and as more competent in dealing with education issues. Moreover, Republican participants indicated a higher likelihood of voting for the feminine candidate. This nuance is important for female candidates as they tailor their self-presentation to potential voters.
Recommended Citation
Ulrich, Margaret E., "Breaking the Mold: Voters’ Perceptions of Femininity in Campaigns" (2024). Political Science Honors Projects. 103.
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/poli_honors/103
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