Investigates national media attention to Democratic and Republican women congressional candidates in 1990 and 1992. Finds media attention related to whether the candidates are running for the Senate or House, incumbency, and state population. Shows that party is a statistically significant factor associated with media attention, and that ethnic…

Studies the value of television commercials and political debates as sources of information about candidates. Reports that respondents who viewed both kinds of messages state that advertisements provide more information on issue positions. Concludes that debates are more effective in improving candidate name recognition and knowledge of party…

Examines the influence of five communication modalities on voters' perceptions of candidates. Finds that political talk-radio exerted the greatest influence on voters' perceptions of Bob Dole and considerable impact on perceptions of Steve Forbes. Finds also that prospective voters' conversations with other people, television news, and candidate…

Investigates how 4 different information-processing goals, varying on the dimensions of effortful versus effortless and impression-driven versus non-impression-driven processing, and individual difference in political sophistication affect the depth at which undergraduate students process candidate information and their decision-making strategies.…

Analyzes the commentary on the 1984 U.S. vice-presidential debate between G. Ferraro and G. Bush. Suggests that verbal references to the quantity and quality of emotion differed according to whether or not the observer politically favored the candidate. (NKA)