Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: Human Interest Frames and Political Policy Attitudes

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Media often frame stories about public policies in a dramatic fashion. One popular form is the human-interest frame--a narrative of a situated actor. How these frames influence one's comprehension of public policies is explored through a series of experimental designs. The use of a set of novel cpolicies chosen from state ballot initiatives allows influences to be isolated in the laboratory while preserving validity. Content analysis gauges the prominence of human-interest frames in print media and interviews with journalists explore the logic behind their use. The general hypotheses are that, as we focus on the person in the story -- a person who carries no political cue, ultimate understanding of the policy may be compromised. First, the person may distract our attention and, thus, lead to poor comprehension. Second, one's feelings about the person may shape opinon about the policy and, thus, lead to bias. The bases for these expectations lie in cognitive psychology and evolutionary theory. The findings are considered in terms of democratic theory -- specifically, liberal theories of representation. The project provides a critical comment on the current role of media in American politics and the advisability of using human-interest dramas to frame public policies.