Share, comment, but do not like. The effect of politicians’ facial attractiveness on audience engagement on Facebook
| Date | 09 September 2019 |
| Pages | 743-759 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-02-2018-0043 |
| Published date | 09 September 2019 |
| Author | Dana Markowitz-Elfassi,Moran Yarchi,Tal Samuel-Azran |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Collection building & management,Bibliometrics,Databases,Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet,Records management & preservation,Document management |
Share, comment, but do not like
The effect of politicians’facial attractiveness
on audience engagement on Facebook
Dana Markowitz-Elfassi
Department of Journalism and Communication,
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel, and
Moran Yarchi and Tal Samuel-Azran
Sammy Ofer School of Communication, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya,
Herzliya, Israel
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of politicians’facial attractiveness on their online
popularity as reflected in audience engagement with their Facebook posts during the 2015 Israeli election campaign.
Design/methodology/approach –Using Israel’s 2015 election campaign as the case study, the authors
analyzed all messages posted (n¼501) on 33 politicians’official Facebook pages during the week leading to
Election Day.
Findings –The results demonstrate that audiencesdo engage more with posts of themore facially attractive
politicians.These posts generatedmore shares, more commentsand more participantsin their discussions –but
not more likes –relative to posts of less attractive politicians. These effects became even stronger when the
posts were accompanied by one or more visual image,and remained significant evenafter controlling for other
engagement predictors, such as a politician’s gender, seniority or the timing of a post’spublication.
Social implications –The findings emphasize the importance of attractive looks for politicians.
The findings highlight that attractive politicians’posts attract more attention, allowing them to better spread
their ideas. Thus, politicians should aim to post aesthetic images and visuals to promote better engagement
with their ideas on social media.
Originality/value –The study expands our understanding of online presentations of politicians, focusing
on the effect of politicians’facial attractiveness on their online popularity. Recent studies have demonstrated
that physically attractive politicians enjoy more and better media attention on television news, but not in
non-visual media such as radio and newspapers. This effect has not been examined in the social media
environment, a central arena for today’s political debates and one that involves many visual messages.
Keywords Israel, Social media, Election campaigns, Facial attractiveness, Users’engagement
Paper type Research paper
In recent years, the public sphere has undergone significant changes due to technological
developments, transferring much of the power of traditional media to the online realm,
particularly social networks. In politics during the last two decades, the use of digital media
for election campaigns has grown (consider, e.g. Donald Trump’s wide usage of Twitter
during the 2016 US presidential election campaign). Today, most candidates and parties
have an internet presence (Boulienne, 2016; Dimitrova et al., 2014; McGregor, 2018). These
online platforms offer politicians new ways to interact with potential voters, especially
younger ones, and promote their messages. Various social media websites have become
popular forums for political participation, and politicians perceive these websites as a
legitimate form of publicity, since they offer politicians greater potential exposure and
ability to spread their messages (Straus et al., 2016; Yarchi and Samuel-Azran, 2018).
In the current reality, communication is two-way, and politicians must be able to engage
their audiences to maintain a successful political image and supportive public opinion.
Websites with online feedback and participation applications, blogs, social networks and
online video sharing are now critical tools for politicians, and their ability to engage
audiences online serves as a proof of popularity and legitimacy. Thus, social media serves as
Online Information Review
Vol. 43 No. 5, 2019
pp. 743-759
© Emerald PublishingLimited
1468-4527
DOI 10.1108/OIR-02-2018-0043
Received 6 February 2018
Revised 14 September 2018
Accepted 24 November 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1468-4527.htm
743
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a central public stage for political debates (Dvir-Gvirsman et al., 2014; McGregor, 2018),
giving politicians direct access to constituents with the aim of promoting engagement that
will hopefully translate into success in the ballots. The use of digital media for political
campaigns makes politicians and political information more accessible to the average citizen
(Dimitrova et al., 2014; Yarchi and Samuel-Azran, 2018). Online campaigns influence the
level of engagement and social interaction between users, who further spread the
information (Hayat and Samuel-Azran, 2017; Park and Perry, 2008); therefore, many political
candidates embrace social network sites, particularly Facebook, as platforms for engaging
and mobilizing their supporters (Dimitrova et al., 2014; Yarchi et al., 2017).
Accordingly, questions concerning the role social media plays in election campaigns
have become central in political communication (Boulienne, 2016; Dimitrova et al., 2014;
Trippi, 2013). In the last decade, scholars have paid increasing attention to different
perspectives on the topic. Studies have examined political preferences and election results
by analyzing social media trends (Ceron et al., 2013; Samuel-Azran et al., 2018; Tumasjan
et al., 2010), others have considered how citizens use social media during election campaigns
(Baumgartner and Morris, 2010; Fernandes et al., 2010; Kushin and Yamamoto, 2010;
Robertson et al., 2010; Samuel-Azran et al., 2017), and how this usage affects political
participation (Bakker and de Vreese, 2011; Wolfsfeld et al., 2016). Some studies have focused
on the candidates’use of social media and examined the discourse and rhetoric of their posts
(Bronstein, 2013; Church, 2010; Gueorguieva, 2008; Metzgar and Maruggi, 2009; Perlmutter,
2008; Samuel-Azran et al., 2015a; Wen, 2014), while others have considered the way
candidates are portrayed via social media (Woolley et al., 2010).
This study will expand our understanding of online presentations of politicians, focusing
on the effect of politicians’facial attractiveness on their online popularity. Recent studies
have demonstrated that physically attractive politicians enjoy more and better media
attention on television news, but not in non-visual media such as radio and newspapers (e.g.
Markowitz-Elfassi and Tsfati, 2017; Waismel-Manor and Tsfati, 2011). This effect has not
been examined in the social media environment, a central arena for today’s political debates
and one that involves many visual messages.
Physical attractiveness: political and media effects
The physical attractiveness effect is well documented in the psychological literature.
Physically attractive people enjoy advantages in social, psychological and economic aspects
of life. For example, others assume that good-looking people possess good qualities, such as
high self-esteem, persuasiveness, credibility (Mobius and Rosenblat, 2006), intelligence and
social popularity (Etcoff, 1999; Langlois et al., 2000). The attribution of good qualities to
good-looking people is called the “halo effect”or the “what is beautiful is good”stereotype
(Dion et al., 1972), and is explained by gradual exposure to social interactions, expectations,
and stereotypes, which are led by socialization agents, especially the media, and reinforce
the relation between beauty and other good qualities (Eagly et al., 1991; Langlois et al., 2000).
Moreover, human attraction to physically attractive others is universal across time and
cultures (Etcoff, 1999). According to evolutionary theory, humans recognize beauty via
physiological hints such as symmetry, proportions and physical perfection, hints related to
good fertility odds and healthiness (Etcoff, 1999), and therefore consider physically
attractive people more successful and desirable.
Research in the political field has demonstrated advantages for physically attractive
politicians. The most salient advantage is the effect of attractiveness on electoral success
(e.g. Berggren et al., 2010; Efran and Patterson, 1974; Surawski and Ossoff, 2006). This effect
is so strong that, according to Rosenberg et al. (1986), Rosenberg and McCafferty (1987),
looking at a single photo was enough for potential voters to determine their voting
intentions and to attribute image, skills and characteristics to the politicians pictured.
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