| Abstract: | This experimental study tested the effects of instrumental background music on subjects' opinions of the candidate in a political radio commercial. Democrats hearing a Democratic candidate commercial without music considered it more issue-oriented than those hearing it with music. No significant effects were found in Republicans. Controlling for party affiliation, results showed a significant correlation between subjects' perceiving the spot as issue-oriented and their stated intention to vote for the candidate. Subjects hearing the spot with music were more likely to consider the spot “well done,” but this did not translate into a statistically significant preference for the candidate. |
