DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjahss.2026.v14i10.002

Pages: 388-393

Emotional factors are widely acknowledged as influential in shaping political choice, yet the specific effects of discrete emotions remain underexplored. This study examines how positive emotions such as enthusiasm and hope, alongside negative emotions including anxiety and anger, contribute to voting behaviour in the United States’ general elections. In addition to the emotional dynamics, this study considers the role of gender attitudes and how exposure to conspiracy theories influences voting behaviour and shapes political perceptions. Using campaign advertisements, rhetorical appeals and illustrative examples that are drawn from presidential races, media articles for conspiracy beliefs and gender attitudes, the analysis investigates how political actors strategically evoke psychological responses to influence voters. The findings suggest that emotional mobilisation combined with identity-based and belief-driven factors has become a central feature of contemporary electoral competition. These elements function not only as a core mechanism shaping voter evaluations but also influence the decision-making process in modern American politics.