Conflict Avoidance and Political Participation

Previous explanations of mass participation have often focused on sociodemographic characteristics to the neglect of social psychological factors. This study takes a new path in thinking about the role of psychological factors in participation. Specifically, we hypothesize that individual propensities regarding conflict will influence the likelihood of participating in political affairs. We develop more specific expectations for how the avenue of participation interacts with individual propensities toward conflict to influence participation. Using secondary analysis of the Citizen Participation Study (CPS), we show that conflict avoidance is significantly and inversely related to participation in some kinds of activities, consistent with our expectations. Thus, both individual propensities and the political context influence participation. This study provides a new understanding of which individuals participate in political affairs and which avenues they choose. This suggests a need to reconsider the role of psychological factors in models of participation.     

The Media, The Campaign, and The Message

This article examines the 1996 press releases issued by Republican presidential nominee candidates during the invisible primary and the subsequent stories generated by these press releases in newspapers. We systematically examine how campaigns structure their messages, which messages are transmitted by the press to the voting public, and what factors influence the transmission of the campaign's message. We find that campaign organizations disseminate a variety of messages to the media. Our analysis demonstrates that national media organizations are most receptive to informative (logistical) messages disseminated by candidates who are at the head of the field and most hostile to substantive (issue-oriented) messages regardless of their campaign of origin. By contrast, the state press is most open to substantive messages issued by lower-tier candidates. It appears from our results that the media, more than the campaign, bear the responsibility for the emphasis on the horse race.     

Characterization of condom lubricant components using Raman spectroscopy and Raman chemical imaging

A condom can be described as a protective sheath used as a contraceptive or to protect against sexually transmitted diseases. However, individuals also use condoms during the commission of sexual assaults to prevent identification through deposited biological material. Raman spectroscopy offers a novel approach to identifying the presence of condom lubricant components. Furthermore, Raman chemical imaging expands on conventional Raman spectroscopy to characterize multiple condom lubricant components simultaneously in a manner that effectively demonstrates heterogeneous sample mixtures both spectrally and spatially. Known reference materials, liquid and solid lubricant components of common condom brands were successfully characterized using Raman dispersive spectroscopy and Raman chemical imaging without extensive sample preparation inherent to other analytical methods. The characterization of these materials demonstrates the potential of this technique to become a routine screening method for condom lubricants. This preliminary investigation provides a basis for future studies to determine the feasibility of Raman spectroscopy and Raman chemical imaging for condom lubricant trace detection in case type samples.     

The impact of scandal on candidate evaluations: An experimental test of the role of candidate traits

Correlational studies have found candidate traits to be an important determinant of vote preferences but cannot rule out reverse causality processes in explaining these findings. The present study demonstrates the independent impact of trait inferences on candidate evaluations using experimentally controlled candidate profiles of hypothetical U.S. congressmen. Using the scandal situation as a testing ground, this experiment examines whether task-relevant, competence traits actually have greater impact on political judgments than the more general, warmth-related trait qualities. Two types of scandals are considered (marital infidelity and tax evasion), both implying negative trustworthiness characteristics of the officeholder. Results demonstrate that trait inferences do have a causal impact on global evaluations. Consistent with past survey studies, competence qualities appear to be more important than warmth qualities but only for those with greater political information levels.