Judgments of interpersonal warmth predict class-based voting preferences

Abstract

The present research examines how warmth communications shape class-based patterns of political candidate support. Drawing on theory and evidence that lower-class individuals are more attuned to others, we predicted that, relative to upper-class individuals, they will modulate their trust and support in response to communications of warmth generated by and about political figures. In Experiment 1, lower-class compared to upper-class participants reported less trust and support for a political candidate who communicated his warmth in a campaign video, while no class differences emerged when he communicated competence or hostility to an opponent instead. In Experiment 2, lower-class compared to upper-class participants reported greater trust and support for a political figure whose warmth was communicated by a lower-class member, but no class difference emerged when the same communication was by an upper-class member. Implications for eliciting trust through warmth communication in cross-class interactions are discussed.