Delia Dumitrescu

The importance of being present Election posters as signals of electoral strength, evidence from France and Belgium

In-depth interviews and survey evidence from French and Belgian party members are used to show that the presence of posters in elections is primarily intended to signal the strength of the party’s campaign. Consistent with parties’ optimal strategies, only major parties use the presence of posters to signal their power. Minor parties use them to inform the public. The findings shed light on previously unexplored elite behaviour in comparative settings and provide additional evidence of the importance of neighbourhood visual cues in elections.

National but European? Visual manifestations of Europe in national parties’ Euromanifestos since 1979

The architects of the European project made a significant effort to create a set of symbols for the community (such as the EU flag, the map of Europe, the anthem, etc.), and recent evidence suggests that the main European values are nowadays spontaneously associated with them. We know little, however, about if and when national political actors choose to display these symbolic visual manifestations of Europe. In this study, we examine the presence of such symbols in parties’ Euromanifestos since the first European elections. The presence of EU community symbols is correlated with several factors, suggesting that the display is consistent both with a policy-driven and with a vote-seeking logic. We explore at length the implications of these results for future visual analysis of parties’ European messages and for the larger issue of European identity.

Nonverbal Communication in Politics: A Review of Research Developments, 2005-2015

This article reviews research contributions in political science and communication to the topic of nonverbal communication and politics from 2005 to 2015. The review opens with research on the content of nonverbal communication, then considers studies examining what moderates the impact of nonverbal aspects of political messages on attitudes and behavior and the mechanisms that underpin these effects. Over the period reviewed here, research shows that the nonverbal channel is rich in political information and is consequential for political decision making, particularly under certain circumstances, such as in low-information conditions. Visuals affect political decisions through cognitive and emotional routes. This review article also identifies several directions where further research is required, particularly with regard to social media, nonvisual aspects of nonverbal communication, the interplay of visual and verbal arguments, and the mechanisms behind the effects of nonverbal communication.

Increased Realism at Lower Cost: The Case for the Hybrid Experiment

We propose an experimental design particularly adapted to the study of individual behavior in collective action situations. The experimental protocol improves on the artificiality that is commonly present in lab and survey experiments to achieve a closer replication of the real-life conditions of such decisions while avoiding the high costs associated with field experiments. We exemplify this design by means of a study on strategic voting in elections.

Showing their true colors? How EU flag display affects perceptions of party elites’ European attachment

Evidence suggests that incidental national flag exposure activates nationalistic feelings and that incidental exposure to the EU flag can affect citizen attachments to Europe. However, we know little about what inferences citizens make based on the EU flag when they see it displayed by parties in an electoral context. To test the expectation that this display affects citizens’ evaluations of party elites’ EU attachment, we conducted a large-scale experiment embedded in a Swedish survey in which respondents were exposed to communications from one of the two main Swedish parties, containing or not containing the image of the flag. We find that simple visual display does little to move perceptions. However, if citizens perceive that a particular party displayed the flag, then they are more likely to evaluate its party elites as more attached to Europe.

Nonverbal Influence and the Expanding Boundaries of Political Communication Research

Research on the visual and nonverbal aspects of political communication is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, expanding the boundaries of an already innovative and dynamic branch of cross-disciplinary scholarship. The articles assembled in this special issue represent the breadth of work now occurring at this vibrant crossroads of scholarly inquiry. This introduction discusses each contribution while providing an overview of the entire issue.