Written by Don Byrd
[C]o-author Wade Rowatt, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor (commented) “In a close election, the place where people vote — a school, a church, a government building — could affect the outcome . For example, a higher percentage of people voting in a church instead of a school might vote for a conservative candidate or proposition.”
He noted that a Stanford University study of an Arizona school funding referendum in 2000 showed that voters polled in schools were more likely to support a state tax increase than were those polled in churches or community centers. That study was published in 2008 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
The Baylor study “raises questions about how our spaces can influence our attitudes,” said LaBouff, a psychology lecturer at the University of Maine who collaborated on the research while a doctoral candidate at Baylor. “We should look carefully at places where important decisions are made.”
In the voting booth, though, we are alone and anonymous. Wouldn’t that lessen the social impact of being asked questions outside a church or a government building? Just throwing that out there. I can’t decide if this is interesting news or not. Do you think the place of voting could impact the decision of those otherwise on the fence?
You can read the full article reporting on the study here.
