Masch Lena, Gassner Anna, Rosar Ulrich
Humboldt University of Berlin,
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.
Politics Life Sci. 2021 Nov;40(2):213-223. doi: 10.1017/pls.2021.17.
Several empirical studies have linked political candidates' electoral success to their physical appearance. We reexamine the effects of candidates' physical attractiveness by taking into account emotional facial expressions as measured by automated facial recognition software. The analysis is based on an observational case study of candidate characteristics in the 2017 German federal election. Using hierarchical regression modeling and controlling for candidates' displays of happiness, consistent effects of physical attractiveness remain. The results suggest that a potential interaction effect between displays of happiness and attractiveness positively affects vote shares. The study emphasizes the importance of considering emotional expressions when analyzing the impact of candidate appearance on electoral outcomes.
多项实证研究将政治候选人的选举成功与其外貌联系起来。我们通过考虑自动面部识别软件测量的面部情绪表情，重新审视候选人外貌吸引力的影响。该分析基于对2017年德国联邦选举中候选人特征的观察性案例研究。使用分层回归模型并控制候选人的幸福表情，外貌吸引力的一致影响依然存在。结果表明，幸福表情与外貌吸引力之间的潜在交互作用对选票份额有积极影响。该研究强调了在分析候选人外貌对选举结果的影响时考虑情绪表达的重要性。
