Candidate image evaluations: Influence and Rationalization in Presidential Primaries

This research attempts to distinguish image voting, the influence of the voter's assessment of the candidates’ personal qualities on the vote, from image rationalization, the influence of the vote on the voter's assessment of the candidate's personal qualities. From an analysis of the opinions of a panel of voters examined during the 1976 presidential primaries it appears that although candidates’ images have a substantial influence on the vote, the vote has nearly as much impact on candidate image. Also, image voting is more prevalent among less politically interested voters but is not significantly affected by the extent of ideological differences between the candidates.