New research shows Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern makes nearly twice as many people feel hopeful and proud than leader of the Opposition Judith Collins.
The Horizon Research Survey found Ardern made people feel more 'comfortable,' 'pleased,' 'hopeful,' and 'proud' than Collins - who was more likely to make people feel 'angry,' 'afraid,' 'nervous,' 'disappointed,' and 'disgusted'.Horizon asked a sample of 1249 respondents over the age of 18, to rate the feelings evoked by both leaders, overall:
- 46 percent said Ardern made them feel 'hopeful,' compared with 24 percent for Collins.
- 43 percent said Ardern made them feel 'proud,' compared with six percent for Collins.
- 13 percent said Ardern made them feel 'excited,' compared with nine percent for Collins.
- 43 percent said Ardern made them feel 'comfortable,' compared with 15 percent for Collins.
- 34 percent said Ardern made them feel pleased,' compared with 10 percent for Collins.
Horizon says it's proven in the US that perceived positive feelings associated with leaders have the power to influence voters' choices.
Feelings of hope, pride, and excitement are the most influential when it comes to voting.
The survey also looked into the results from respondents who are both registered and 100 percent likely to vote.
Collins fared no better with definite voters, still igniting more negative emotions than positive.
Collins made people feel more: 'angry,' 'afraid,' 'nervous,' 'concerned,' and 'disgusted' than Ardern, overall:
- 27 percent of definite voters said Collins makes them feel 'hopeful,' most of these people intended to vote for National, New Conservatives, or ACT.
- Collins makes 5 percent of people intending to vote Labour and 1 percent intending to vote Greens feel 'hopeful.'
Ardern evokes more positive than negative feelings in definite voters.
- Ardern makes 46 percent of definite voters feel 'hopeful,' nearly double the amount of Collins.
- Interestingly this includes 12 percent of people intending to vote National and 13 percent of people intending to vote for New Conservative.
Compared with a January 2020 study conducted by Horizon, Collins isn't performing as well as former National party leader Simon Bridges, overall:
- 36 percent of people said Bridges made them feel 'hopeful,' compared with 24 percent for Collins.
- 29 percent said Bridges made them feel 'proud,' compared with 6 percent for Collins.
- 20 percent said Bridges made them feel 'pleased,' compared with 10 percent for Collins.
Collins made people feel more 'concerned,' 'nervous,' 'angry,' and 'disgusted' than Bridges.
In January 2011 Horizon found then-National leader John Key made 25 percent of respondents feel hopeful compared with 18 percent for then Labour leader Phil Goff.
US researchers have found that people are more likely to vote based on emotion than factual policy analysis.
