Political pets: The pawsitive effect of dogs in politicians’ social media posts

This study investigates if and how the presence of dogs in politicians’ social media messaging is related to evaluations of those politicians. Two studies – a survey and an experiment – conducted with undergraduate university students show that the inclusion of dogs in U.S. politicians’ social media posts increased parasocial interactions with that politician, attitudes toward the politician’s social media posts, and intentions to vote for that politician. These findings illustrate the theoretical underpinnings of how public favorability for dogs can increase candidate personalization, creating parasocial connections and positive attitudes that can translate into increased voting intentions.