Abstract

This contribution analyzes the predictive role of implicit and explicit attitudes toward leaders and parties during the Italian general election in 2006 (N = 350) and in 2008 (N = 626). Furthermore it examines the role played by latent and manifest participation as moderators of the effects exerted by the implicit attitudes on voting behaviour. The results showed that both the implicit and the explicit attitudes influence the electoral behavior and that both the political participation dimensions play a moderation role. Specifically, the influence of implicit attitudes increases for electors characterized by high levels of latent and manifest participations. These findings are then discussed referring to some relevant dual cognition theories.