Author: Jesper Eklund

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Research team

Who are you? – Thomas Karv

Exciting news! We’re delighted to welcome Thomas Karv as the newest member of our research team! Starting in 2025, he will join us as a Project Researcher, bringing vast knowledge in political science research.

Who are you? – Thomas Karv

I am an Associate Professor in Political Science, and from January 1st, 2025, I will be on a one-year leave from my full-time position as a Senior Lecturer in Political Science at Mid Sweden University in Sundsvall, Sweden. Hence, I will spend 100% of my working hours on this project during 2025!

Current research interests also include European integration, political representation, anti-establishment attitudes and democratic innovations.

What is your role in this project?

I will conduct research related to the research aim of work package 2, together with work package leader Marina Lindell. This includes conducting a survey experiment on framing effects during the spring of 2025, which we will then use as data for producing new and exciting research related to the broader research field of affective polarization!

What do you find interesting about the research of emotions and/or affective polarization?

Even if affective polarization has been something of a “buzzword” within political science research during approximately the last five years, there are still a lot of unanswered questions to be explored. Moreover, from a societal perspective, I am quite alarmed about the broader development occurring right in front of us concerning how difficult it has become for people to understand the rationale behind other perspectives than their own, including a growing unwillingness to even try. This is most definitely a direct side-effect of social media, making it even more urgent to conduct the type of research which we are doing within this project.

What do you do in your spare time?

I have been a football player all my life, currently running around kicking and screaming on the midfield of a local fourth-division club here in Vasa, ABC. It should also be noted that I support and follow the great Manchester United Football Club to an unhealthy extent. Concerning our results the last years, it has been far from happy times at the Karv-residency.

Thomas-karv-portrait

The research project “EmoAffect” takes on the task of studying how emotional reactions drive affective polarization and focuses on which emotions that are crucial drivers. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland and carried out at Åbo Akademi University.

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Insight

Securitization of election campaigns is coming – are you ready?

Recent election campaigns increasingly frame diverse issues as security threats. This “securitization” of campaign narratives taps into emotions like anger, fear, and anxiety, potentially influencing public perceptions.

During the past summer, as part of a European research project analyzing election campaigns by political parties in European parliamentary elections, I collected and coded visual campaign materials (posters, commercials, and social media posts) from the main Finnish parties during the Finnish elections to the European Parliament in June.

One initial observation that strikes me is that the material contains a recurring theme of security and threats to security. We could talk about the securitization of campaigns in European elections, where campaign messages are framed as security issues, and threats are identified, sometimes using emotional visual rhetoric intended to evoke fear and anxiety in voters. In accordance with the pivotal study by Buzan et al., Security: A New Framework for Analysis (1998), the types of security issues that arise in the material are not necessarily military threats endangering traditional national security, but instead encompass a broader range of concerns.

The issues that Finnish parties frame as security threats are sometimes internal, occurring within Finnish borders (e.g., immigration issues and far-right movements), and sometimes external, referring to threats outside the borders that endanger national security (such as the climate change crisis, migration, the war in Ukraine, and the rise of the far-right in Europe and the European Parliament).

Borders are present both visually and verbally. The messages sometimes implicitly refer to Finland’s border with Russia, while at other times they specifically address borders related to migration. In the two Facebook screenshots below, the Finns Party (on the left) states: “The idea of a border is that you only cross it with proper papers. The European Union has been completely unable to address the problem of illegal immigration […] Let’s decide for ourselves.” On the right, the Left Alliance Party frames the border issue differently, defending immigrants’ rights with the campaign slogan “A fair Europe for all, not for the few” placed within the border motif.

Sources: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=851839943657075&set=a.250200693821006 and https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=957279632521155&set=pcb.957281239187661

The climate crisis, framed as a threat to security, is particularly emphasized by the Greens, as shown in the screenshot from Facebook below (on the left). The text reads: “The climate crisis is coming, and Europe is not ready. The catastrophic impacts of the climate crisis have been forgotten in the big debates of these elections as well.” On the right, the Social Democrats frame the climate crisis differently, with a visual motif that evokes more positive emotions, alongside the text: “Enough of stalling climate actions. We can do better.”

Sources: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1006758084148231&set=pcb.1006357010855005 and https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=990384175789797&set=a.422856339209253

The Finns Party, in particular, frames immigration as a national security issue, using fearmongering imagery from, apparently, Finland’s western neighbour, Sweden, as seen in the screenshots below from the party’s Facebook account. On the left, the text reads: “A multicultural Europe was ordered and received. Now they wonder what happened. Isn’t it time to draw a border? Let’s decide for ourselves.” On the right: “Once upon a time, there was a Europe that did not control its borders. How did it turn out? Isn’t it time to draw a border? Let’s decide for ourselves.”

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=849411620566574&set=a.250200693821006

These examples of framing issues as security threats in the Finnish campaign may reflect broader trends in European politics, where topics like immigration and climate change are increasingly intertwined with national security narratives. As parties continue to construct and frame campaign messages around security threats, using dramatic visual imagery and appealing to emotions such as fear and anxiety, it becomes crucial to examine how this framing influences public perception.

References
Buzan, B., Wæver, O., & De Wilde, J. (1998). Security: A new framework for analysis. Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Authored by Tom Carlson

The research project “EmoAffect” takes on the task of studying how emotional reactions drive affective polarization and focuses on which emotions that are crucial drivers. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland and carried out at Åbo Akademi University.

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Report

Laboratory study 2: Emotional Responses to Social Media Content Expressing Societal Threats through Gain or Loss Framing

In April, we conducted our second laboratory study for this project, focusing on emotional responses to social media content expressing societal threats through gain or loss framing. 71 participants took part in the study.

Our primary objective was to investigate how the framing of societal threats influences emotional responses. Recent research indicates that positive frames evoke positive self-reported emotions, and negative frames evoke negative self-reported emotions. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment groups. Each group was exposed to social media posts addressing immigration and climate change, framed either positively to emphasize potential gains or negatively to highlight potential losses.

Our study aims to understand how individuals interpret the same stimulus as either a societal threat or not, and which emotional responses are elicited. Unlike previous research, which has primarily focused on self-reported emotions like anger, fear, and enthusiasm, our approach is methodologically robust. We incorporate a broader spectrum of self-reported emotions, utilize diverse measures of emotional response, including skin conductance responses, and employ eye-tracking technology. Through this comprehensive approach, we seek to gain deeper insights into the emotional nuances elicited by different frames. Additionally, our study explores the impact of opinion congruence on emotional responses.

The images in the posts, along with the threat expressed in the text on the image, were consistent across both positive and negative frames. For example, one image addressed climate change with a flooded field, accompanied by the text: “Climate change increases the risk of storms, floods, and a warmer climate in Ostrobothnia.” Similarly, an image addressing immigration depicted a Middle Eastern refugee with his two children, alongside the text: “Immigration to Ostrobothnia could cost municipalities several million euros.” The captions in the posts expressed the different frames (Table 1).

Table 1. The framing of the captions

Gain frame Loss frame

Climate
issue

A

Finland’s Climate Panel has released a new report, which also highlights positive aspects of climate change. “A warmer climate provides opportunities for agriculture and forestry to cultivate new crops like corn and tree species that have not grown well here before.” …

 B

Finland’s Climate Panel has released a new report. For Ostrobothnia, the low-lying landscape and waterways pose a risk of flooding. “Together with rain and snow, this means we must consider where and how to build in the future.”
 

Immigration issue

 

 C

However, Ostrobothnia needs labor force to sustain the Finnish welfare society. Population trends show that the population is aging, and fewer children are being born. “We need more people in the workforce, and this is achieved by bringing people from other countries.” …

D

Immigration to Ostrobothnia is expected to increase in the coming years, and politicians in the welfare area warn of risks. “A failed integration policy can increase the risk of street violence and marginalization and move us closer to the situation in Sweden.” …

To ensure unbiased results, we randomized the presentation of treatments. Each participant was exposed to one gain frame and one loss frame, either A + D or B + C, in a shuffled order.

The text in the posts’ captions was extracted from articles from Yle and Hufvudstadsbladet, with each caption consisting of 40 words in Swedish.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all participants who generously took part in the study, and to Experience Lab for providing us with their workspace and equipment.

Moving forward, our next steps involve analyzing the data and crafting scientific papers to showcase the findings of the laboratory study. Additionally, we are still in the process of writing and finalizing papers from our first laboratory study. Exciting discoveries await, and we can’t wait to share them with you.

The research project “EmoAffect” takes on the task of studying how emotional reactions drive affective polarization and focuses on which emotions that are crucial drivers. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland and carried out at Åbo Akademi University.

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Research team

Who are you? – Carl Holtti

Exciting News! Meet the newest addition to our research team. We’re thrilled to introduce Carl Holtti, who is joining our research team as a laboratory assistant for our upcoming second laboratory study.

Carl Holtti is a student at Åbo Akademi University. He is currently finishing his Bachelor’s thesis on the environmental movement Extinction Rebellion and its relationship to the anarchist tradition of ideas.

What is your role in this project?
My role in this project is an assisting one, contributing to the execution of our laboratory studies and aiding in data collection.

What are your research interests?
My main research interests would be studying the potential correlations between marginalized groups/identities and what are often considered “extreme” political ideologies. It is also the reason for my interest in the research of emotions, as they too play a large role in people’s political leanings.

What do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I mainly focus on relaxing, which for me entails listening to music, watching some video or show, playing video games, and reading. If time allows, I also like to try to stay active outside or in the gym.

Carl Holtti

The research project “EmoAffect” takes on the task of studying how emotional reactions drive affective polarization and focuses on which emotions that are crucial drivers. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland and carried out at Åbo Akademi University.

 

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Report

Laboratory study: Emotional Responses to Non-Congruent Emotional Social Media Content 

Have you ever wondered why intense dislike and negativity are often expressed between partisan groups on social media? This phenomenon, known as affective polarization, has become increasingly prevalent in today’s digital age. Social media has been identified as a significant contributor to affective polarization, primarily due to its ability to induce selective exposure to information and people, often through the use of emotional imagery. The EmoAffect research project aims to unravel the role of emotions in fueling affective polarization by analyzing emotional reactions to social media messages.   

During the month of June 2023, we conducted our first laboratory study for this project. Approximately 50 participants aged 18–35 were invited to participate in the study. The aim of the study was to collect emotional responses to different types of social media content in two stages: first, during the presentation of the stimuli through psychophysiological recording, and second, after the stimuli through self-reported emotional responses. We sought to investigate the emotional responses of participants whose social-political identity (probably) differs from that of the social media content creator and the specific emotional content that these participants tend to focus their attention on. 

Specifically, we were interested in how Swedish-speaking Finns reacted to the social media content of the Finns party leader, Riikka Purra. What piqued our interest was Purra’s distinct use of different platforms. While her Instagram account remained apolitical, her TikTok presence showcased her political leanings.  

To unravel the effects of various social media strategies, we randomly assigned participants to explore either Purra’s Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/sanrines/) or her TikTok account (https://www.tiktok.com/@riikkapurra). Our hypothesis revolved around the idea that participants would experience different emotional reactions depending on the platform used by this well-known (and somewhat controversial) politician.  

Riikka Purra Tiktok and Instagram

Figure. Riikka Purras Instagram and TikTok 

The participants were also asked pre-survey questions regarding their gender, age, occupation, language identity, political interest, social media usage, and feelings towards Finnish parties. Additionally, after experiencing the stimuli, the participants were asked to provide descriptions of their emotional responses during the stimuli.

We want to thank all participants who were able to come and participate in the study. We would also like to extend our thanks to the Experience Lab for providing us with their workspace and equipment. The next steps involve analyzing the data and writing scientific papers to present the results of the laboratory study. However, before diving into these tasks, we plan to take some time off and enjoy a well-deserved vacation, hopefully experiencing some warm weather in Finland.

The research project “EmoAffect” takes on the task of studying how emotional reactions drive affective polarization and focuses on which emotions that are crucial drivers. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland and carried out at Åbo Akademi University.

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Research team

Who are you – Jesper Eklund

Jesper Eklund is a project assistant at Åbo Akademi University. He is involved in opinion research and projects researching political polarization. Other research interests include the study of social trust amongst Swedish-speaking Finns.

What is your role in this project?

I act as a project assistant, which means I help with research, communication, and administrative tasks within the project. I participate in designing the studies and assisting in laboratory experiments.

What do you find interesting about the research of emotions?

I think the study of emotion or affect is an interesting area of research because it challenges the idea of the completely rational citizen. Emotions are and have always been a central part of politics. I also think we have seen a rise in the use of emotive language in politics in the last decades.

What do you do in your spare time?

I like to stay active, which usually means working out in the gym or playing football. When I’m relaxing I like playing video games, watching movies or sports, especially Formula 1.

Jesper Eklund

The research project “EmoAffect” takes on the task of studying how emotional reactions drive affective polarization and focuses on which emotions that are crucial drivers. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland and carried out at Åbo Akademi University.

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Research team

Who are you – Tom Carlson

Tom Carlson is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in Political Science at Åbo Akademi University. His primary areas of research focus on election campaigns, political advertising, and visual politics.

What is your role in this project?

I act as a senior advisor and researcher in the first work package that deals with laboratory experimental studies within the project. I participate in designing studies and analyzing experimental data.

What do you find interesting about the research of emotions and/or affective polarization?

My background is in research of visual political communication, in particular how political actors strategically use visual imagery to appeal to emotions of target groups. The project is exciting for me as the controlled laboratory setting provides excellent opportunities to study actual emotional reactions of such stimuli and to explore the interplay of emotions and cognitive processing.

What do you do in your spare time?

I really enjoy reading fiction. At the moment, Knausgård’s latest novel engulfs me. I am obsessed with studying and listening to rock music. I play my precious electric guitar whenever I can.Tom Carlson

The research project “EmoAffect” takes on the task of studying how emotional reactions drive affective polarization and focuses on which emotions that are crucial drivers. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland and carried out at Åbo Akademi University.

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Research team

Who are you? – Marina Lindell

Marina Lindell is an Academy of Finland Research Fellow 2022-2027. Her project is titled “Re-thinking opinion change: the role of framing, communication dynamics and personality”. The project scrutinises attitudinal and knowledge change in different experimental settings – depending on the framing of issues and group composition, communicative dynamics (speaking/acting/listening) and personality traits. Besides this she is managing a project on societal polarization, chairing the ECPR Standing Group on Democratic Innovations and is an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Deliberative Democracy.

What is your role in this project?

I am the leader of work package two which is focusing on large scale survey experiments in order to test the same stimuli treatments used in the lab experiments. By using survey experiments we will gain further knowledge on emotional reactions and the mediating/moderating role of individual-level variables such as partisan and social identity, personality and attitudes. I have vast knowledge on survey research and is the manager for the Barometer panel used in the project. Hence, my main role is to design survey experiments, analyse data and write articles together with the team.

What do you find interesting about the research of emotions and/or affective polarization?

My Academy of Finland project focus on the role of framing for opinion change. This is closely connected to both emotions and affective polarization since framing of messages can have a large impact on how we react and how opinions are formed. I am also interested in how misinformation and fake news affect opinions and political behavior, including the effect on affective polarization.

What do you do in your spare time?

I have two active teenagers, including a 14 year old playing ice hockey in Vasa Sport and a 17 year old doing synchronised skating. I spend a large time of my spare time in the ice-hockey arena and I enjoy almost every moment of it. I also enjoy spending time at the gym and whenever I find time in between it all I play Candy Crush, watch True Crime series online or read a book.

Marina Lindell

The research project “EmoAffect” takes on the task of studying how emotional reactions drive affective polarization and focuses on which emotions that are crucial drivers. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland and carried out at Åbo Akademi University.

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Research team

Who are you? – Jenny Lindholm

Meet Jenny Lindholm, an esteemed university lecturer in Political Science with Media and Communication at Åbo Akademi University. With a keen interest in visual political communication and civic technology, my latest research endeavors have been focused on the intricate subject of emotions.

What is your role in this project?

As the leader of the project’s first work package, The Lab Experiments, I play a critical role in designing studies, collecting data, and analyzing results to produce insightful articles. My extensive experience in combining lab research with political science makes me a valuable asset to the project.

What do you find interesting about the research of emotions?

My passion for understanding emotions was sparked during my doctoral studies. As I delved into the impact of various crises on society, I realized the significant role emotions play in political communication. My first laboratory study on citizens’ reactions to crisis news propelled me into a fascination with emotions and their measurement.

What do you do in your spare time?

I live in a really big, old house that used to be a school. Fixing up the house, and the garden, and trying to creatively design the inside to work for a family of four is the fun part of my everyday life (and a good contrast to academic life).

JennyLindholm

The research project “EmoAffect” takes on the task of studying how emotional reactions drive affective polarization and focuses on which emotions that are crucial drivers. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland and carried out at Åbo Akademi University.

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Research team

Who are you? – Kim Strandberg

It is time to present the research team for EmoAffect. First up is Kim Strandberg.

Who are you? – Kim Strandberg

Professor in political science, especially political communication. Research interests include democratic innovations, social media and politics, affective polarization, survey- and experimental methods.

What is your role in this project?

I’m the so-called principal investigator which is basically the project leader. I keep an eye on how the research in the work packages is going and I ensure that we are staying on track in terms of both time schedule and focus points.

What do you find interesting about the research of emotions and/or affective polarization?

I think it has become obvious, for instance during the Trump era, how emotions can be harnessed to achieve political goals. Emotions are also part of basic human instincts which make them extra important to understand in relation to phenomena that are affecting how societies function, such as affective polarization. For me, emotions are also a new area of study which makes it extra interesting.

What do you do in your spare time?

I actively support Liverpool F.C., Vaasan Palloseura and Vaasan Sport. I’m into sports’ fan culture generally. My other hobbies include playing Magic: the Gathering and spending time on YouTube (far too many hours per day).

kim-strandberg

The research project “EmoAffect” takes on the task of studying how emotional reactions drive affective polarization and focuses on which emotions that are crucial drivers. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland and carried out at Åbo Akademi University.