Effects of negative political advertising: The roles of sponsor and rebuttal

Abstract

This experiment explored the roles of sponsor and rebuttal in negative political advertising. Both sponsor and rebuttal factors determined the impact of negative advertising on perceptions of the candidates and vote intentions. Independent sponsorship was more effective than candidate sponsorship, resulting in greater intended effects against the targeted candidate and in reduced backlash effects against the opponent. Rebuttal by the targeted candidate increased backlash against the opponent, but failed to influence perceptions of the target.