Objectives:
PSY FPX 7520 Assessment 2 In my role as a political advisor for the League of Women, I’ve been tasked with devising guidelines for conducting impartial and equitable public town hall debates. This presents a challenge due to the significant influence of both social media and mainstream media on public perceptions, which have become crucial in shaping opinions and beliefs. It is important to possess an understanding of the psychological dynamics and impact at play in this situation. Social psychology investigates how individuals behave in social situations and how they experience and interact with others (Van Lange, Kruglanski, & Higgins, 2012). Our social impressions determine how we interpret events and construct responses (Van Lange et al., 2012).
To balance the power of social and media forces, political consultants must review questions posed by the media, ensure that moderators provide equal time to candidates, and secure mediators’ fair and meaningful questioning. The moderator’s conduct is a crucial factor in determining the success or failure of debates, with framing and question management being key. Moderators’ concerns focus on audience engagement, self-interest, or sensationalism rather than on the content (Turcotte, 2014). Although the Commission on Presidential Debates instituted the town hall style in 1992, the media can still exercise influence over question content (Turcotte, 2014). The town hall style appears to sidestep confrontation, embracing public interrogation of proposals and plans (Turcotte, 2014).
PSY FPX 7520 Assessment 2 Minimizing Social Influence in Debates
Final Deliverable:
Town hall meetings offer a platform for freer and more impartial debates. Since the audience is guiding the discussion most of the time, moderator influence is minimized.
Risks:
• Moderator bias influencing the audience.
• Challenges in fitting the questions of a large audience.
• Interruptions by rowdy audience members.
• Irrelevant or inappropriate questions from the audience.
Project Budget / Spending Estimate:
No expenditure per se is proposed as part of the initiative to enhance debate and minimize the effects of social influences without additional cost.
Research-based Guidelines for Fair Public Debates and Media Coverage:
PSY FPX 7520 Assessment 2 In making public town hall meetings fair, it’s vital to appreciate the strength and influence of social and media dynamics. Social media sites are real-time forums for political debate, at times as much shaping the spontaneous reactions as the arguments themselves (Pfeiffer, 2015). Preparation beforehand, careful listening during the debate, and reflection afterwards are all cited as important by the League of Women Voters (2016). Turcotte (2014) remarks on the emphasis in town hall-style debates being more about content in terms of policy than in traditional formats. Rooy, Wood, & Tran (2016) observe the influence of social comparison on group processes, shaping people’s attitudes and behaviors.
Guidelines for Fair Public Debate:
Referring to Festinger’s Social Comparison Model (Van Lange et al., 2012), the rules observe the need for unbiased moderation, restricting moderator effect, and creating an environment conducive to meaningful debate. Non-verbal conduct, e.g., body language, can affect audience perceptions in a subtle way (CNN, 2012). During a town hall debate, audience engagement can assist candidates in staying issue-centered and avoiding combat rhetoric. Moderators must ensure fairness, handle the crowd, and select neutral locations to help assure integrity in the debate.
References:
CNN. (2012). Decoding body language from the final debate [Transcript]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.cnn.com League of Women Voters (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.lwv.org.
Pfeiffer, D. (2015). How social media is revolutionizing debates. Retrieved fromhttp://www.cnn.com/2015/09/15/opinions/pfeiffer-social-media-debates/index.html.
PSY FPX 7520 Assessment 2 Reducing Social Influence in Arguments
Rooy, D., Wood, I., & Tran, E. (2016). Modeling the emergence of shared attitudes from group dynamics using an agent-based model of social comparison theory. System Research & Behavioral Science, 33, 188-204.
Turcotte, J (2014). The news norms and values of presidential debate agendas: An analysis of format and moderator influence on question content. Mass Communication and Society, 18(3), 1-20.
Van Lange, P.A.M., Kruglanski, A.W., Higgins, E.T. (2012). Handbook of theories of social psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
