Determinant factors of young voters’ emotional states towards voting decision in Malaysian’s 14th general election: survey studies in Lembah Pantai constituency / Wan Azizi Wan Mohamed

• Main Author: Wan Mohamed, Wan Azizi
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Elections. Electoral systems. Voting
• Online Access: https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/60702/1/60702.pdf; https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/60702/

This research aims to explore the new dimension of Malaysia’s political system, considering the role of an individual’s emotional states of judgement among young voters in the form of their awareness, political participation and behaviour in respect of voting decision during an election. The decisive role of the young voters and participation continues to mound the future direction of the country as their turnout during elections indicates a new political awakening among the youth. The role of young voters in political process is dynamic and crucial as media is now becoming more accessible to them to obtain information relating to election process. Media exposure has socially and politically impact participation when citizens are more aware and engaged in the political processes. Due to the increase in the literacy rate, the level of education and the advancement of communication technology in a developed country like Malaysia, a person’s emotions have become a crucial factor in influencing the decision-making process in their everyday life. In general, this study of voter decision processes focuses on the way individuals evaluate their political alternatives, select a preferred alternative, and cast their vote. In this study, Marcus’s Theory of Affective Intelligence (AIT) was used to evaluate how emotional characteristics or states such as enthusiasm, anger and anxiety influence a voter’s decision. This study employed Newman’s cognitive domains Model of Voters’ Choice Behaviour such as Political Issues, Social Imagery, Candidate Personality, Situational Contingency and Epistemic Value to understand factors that influence voting behaviour that later contribute the factors of winning and losing of any political parties contesting in an election. Quantitative method was used in this study because it is easier to measure categories such as attitudes, opinions, behaviour, and defined variables. The research instrument used is the questionnaire. This study involved 400 survey respondents from Lembah Pantai Parliamentary constituency to answer all the questions provided in the questionnaire. The results of this study evaluated determinant factors of young voters’ emotional state; their choice behaviour and subsequently influence voters’ decision to vote. The study showed interpretation of correlations between cognitive domains and decision-making. The findings also found that emotional campaigning would not have been so effective without the rise of anger and nationalism. There is a need to appreciate emotions, longer-term changes within political parties, and demographic shifts.