The Role of Emotions and Culture in the Third-Person Effect Process of News Coverage of Election Poll Results

Abstract

The current study examines how discrete emotions function in the manifestation of the third-person effect of news coverage of election poll results. An online survey was conducted employing a sample of undergraduate students from the United States (n = 197) and South Korea (n = 178) before the 2012 presidential elections in the two countries. Results demonstrate that third-person perception is negatively associated with pride, which, in turn, is positively linked to political participation intention only for the supporters of a losing candidate. For U.S. respondents, third-person perception is positively associated with anger, which is positively associated with support for restrictions on polling news. For South Korean respondents, the mediation of anxiety between third-person perception and political participation intention is significant for the supporters of a losing candidate. Implications of the findings are discussed.