Dissertation
SOCIAL IDENTITY AND SPECIAL INTERESTS: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF GROUP-BASED APPEAL LANGUAGE IN POLICY COMMUNICATIONS AND POLITICAL ADVERTISING
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000005431
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/119733
Abstract
Little is known about how language choices made by special interest groups affect audience receptiveness to the group’s policy goals. This study examines the use of words and phrases that reference in-group or out-group identities—hereafter referred to as “group-based appeals”—in political messaging produced by policy-focused special interest groups. What is the impact of group-based appeals on individual policy preferences and political participation? I propose that the use of group-based appeals strengthens social identity and group loyalty among audience members, making them more willing to agree with and act on the advice of the message creator.
The first of three research phases involves content analysis of political advertisements produced by special interest groups to determine the basic characteristics of group-based appeals and under what circumstances they appear. I find that references to in-groups and out-groups correlate with positive and negative descriptive language, respectively. Only ads produced by the National Rifle Association reveal an increased use of out-group appeal language over time.
The second and third research phases assessed audience reactions to the inclusion of group-based appeals in interest group political advertisements via two separate survey experiments. Respondents were randomly assigned a manufactured political advertisement with varying numbers of group-based appeals and then asked questions about policy preferences (for the first survey) and political participation intention (for the second survey) relating to the issue of gun access and gun control. The results did not support expectations that group-based appeals in interest group advertisements affect audience policy preferences and political participation.
The results from all three research phases indicate that special interest groups use group-based appeals in a consistent fashion, but the reliance on such language does not help shift public opinion or political participation in the interest group’s favor. I recommend that further research on group-based appeal language should account for the name recognition and social identity of the special interest group itself.
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Details
- Title
- SOCIAL IDENTITY AND SPECIAL INTERESTS: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF GROUP-BASED APPEAL LANGUAGE IN POLICY COMMUNICATIONS AND POLITICAL ADVERTISING
- Creators
- Joshua Arthur Munroe
- Contributors
- Travis N Ridout (Advisor)Steven D Stehr (Committee Member)Michael F Salamone (Committee Member)Martha Cottam (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 247
- Identifiers
- 99900592359801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation