Stimulus differentiation versus stimulus complexity as factors affecting turnout in two-candidate and multicandidate races

Rational incentives and psychological involvement are hypothetical alternative motives for voting participation. The relationship of these alternative motives to turnout is explored in the presidential elections held between 1952 and 1976. Rational incentives as such are not more productive of turnout than other stimuli to psychological involvement in the electoral situation.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Conference on Turnout, San Diego, California, May 16–19, 1979.