International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

The candidate image construct is used in the study of political communication to explain how campaign messages affect voter perceptions of candidates. It is assumed that changes in the images of candidates lead to changes in candidate evaluations and choices in elections. This assumption is consistent with the vast voting behavior literature which indicates that there are numerous long-term and short-term determinants of voting choices. Candidate image is one type of short-term voting determinant. While there are competing definitions of candidate image, most uses of the construct assume that candidate images are cognitive representations of candidates (→  Political Cognitions ). In their seminal work, Nimmo and Savage (1976) initiated a rigorous focus on candidate image as a construct that can help to explain how communication affects candidate evaluation. They argued that an image of a candidate consists of voter →  perceptions . These perceptions are the result of an interaction of voters' subjective knowledge and messages sent by candidates. Some scholars assume that voters compare candidates on a similar set of criteria, such as attributes for an ideal office holder. Others, however, argue that voters appear to incorporate dissimilar standards in their images of competing candidates ( Hellweg 2004 ). The general theoretical perspective for contemporary candidate image research ... log in or subscribe to read full text