Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study discusses the asymmetric dominance effect in the context of political elections with third-party candidates. Animal and human research both show that the addition or removal of a third option influences choices between the remaining two options. The direction of sway created by the addition/removal of the 3rd option is context-dependent and unconsciously regulated. The results confirmed our hypotheses that both the timing and perceived viability of third-party candidates significantly influence voter preferences, with the strongest effects observed when third-party candidates remain present through election day. These findings suggest that the impact of third-party candidates extends beyond simple vote-splitting and is at least partly unconscious, though direct implicit measures were not employed. This study is situated in the context of U.S. presidential elections and focuses on moderate voters.
DOI: 10.3390/ijcs1010003
Authors: Gavriel Knafo, Joel Weinberger
Institution: Adelphi University
Language: English
Subfield: General Decision Sciences
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4416996481