Abstract

Is it possible to consider values as the catalysts for specific emotions, or are they two separate spheres, devoid of any connection to each other? To answer this question and based on the literature in the field, this article illustrates the simulation of an imaginary election campaign centered around the choice between two mayoral candidates: one conservative and the other progressive. Through the presentation of a series of political messages to a sample of 1199 Italians, we examine whether different emotional stimuli produce differentiated effects on voters with specific value priorities. Our research shows how certain value predispositions interact with the emotional sphere of individuals and play a decisive (and heterogeneous) role in the electoral choice.