16:00 - 17:45
Parallel track
Room: Kernkampkamer
How Voters Evaluate Candidates with Disabilities: Evidence from a Conjoint Experiment
Stefanie Reher
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

When asked to choose between candidates in elections, voters take a range of candidate characteristics into account, including their gender, ethnicity, and social class. Whether a candidate has a disability potentially plays a role too, given the stigma and stereotypes that continue to exist about people with disabilities in our societies. This study is the first to examines whether and how candidate disability affects voter perceptions of their traits, beliefs, and competences and, consequently, the vote choice, using a conjoint experiment in the UK. The findings from a pilot study suggest that candidates with depression but not those using a wheelchair are considered less competent, strong, and hard-working. Both types of disability, but more so the physical disability, are associated with perceptions of concern about and competence in handling disability-related issues. Disabled candidates are also seen as more left-wing. Meanwhile, the effects on the vote choice are limited. The findings provide important insights about the role of stereotypes in voting behaviour and have potential to contribute to addressing the underrepresentation of disabled people in politics.


Reference:
Th-Evaluation and discrimination-2
Session:
Evaluation and discrimination
Presenter/s:
Stefanie Reher
Room:
Kernkampkamer
Date:
Thursday, 2 May
Time:
16:00 - 17:45
Session times:
16:00 - 17:45