幽默、非幽默反駁之相對效果：候選人核心形象之干擾

The Relative Effect between Humorous and Non-Humorous Rebuttal: The Moderation of Candidate's Core Image

選舉期間，各種針對候選人形象的負面攻擊或是爆料頻繁出現，而當遭到攻擊時，如何回應往往是影響該次攻擊效果、話題延續性，以及選民對攻防雙方評價的關鍵。過去學界對於負面攻擊的成效以及內容設計投以相當關注，但究竟候選人應如何回應攻擊，在哪些情況下該採取特定的回應手法，則較少討論。因此，本研究欲深入探討當候選人遭受負面形象攻擊時，以幽默或非幽默反駁的相對效果，並檢視當核心、非核心形象遭受攻擊時，應如何反駁效果較佳。三個實驗的結果發現：當核心形象遭受攻擊，且該形象建立於過去學經歷、施政表現時，採用幽默或非幽默反駁的效果相當；當核心形象來自於刻板印象（無論是性別或外貌刻板印象），採取非幽默反駁較能改善對反駁方候選人態度和投票意願；當非核心形象遭受攻擊，則運用幽默反駁有較佳的反駁效果。研究結果對於負面攻擊回應策略、候選人形象、性別和外貌刻板印象等研究領域，具理論上的貢獻，並提供競選團隊如何回應負面攻擊的實務建議。

"Negative attacks on candidates or disclosures that could potentially impact their image appear frequently during elections. When being attacked, a candidate’s response is often crucial for gauging the impact of the accusation, the persistence of the charge(s), and voters’assessments on the views of both the responding and attacking sides. Previous studies have focused on the impact of negative attacks and how to effectively design attack content, but there is little focus on candidates’responses to negative charges as well as methods to identify which response strategies are more effective under specific conditions. Accordingly, this study explores the effect of using humorous rebuttal versus non-humorous rebuttal when responding to a candidate’s image being attacked by an opponent. In addition, it examines how the rebuttal leads to better effects when the attack goes against the candidate’s core and non-core images. The results of three experiments show that when a candidate’s core image is attacked and voters’original perception of that core image is based on the candidate’s educational background, work experience, and previous performance as a public official, then using a humorous rebuttal or non-humorous rebuttal yields similar effects. However, if the core image perception comes from stereotypes, regardless of gender or attractiveness labels, then using a non-humorous rebuttal improves voters’attitudes and voting intentions toward the responding candidate. When a candidate’s non-core image is attacked, humorous rebuttal generates better rebuttal effects. The research findings offer a theoretical contribution to research areas such as response strategies to negative attacks, candidate image, gender stereotypes, and attractiveness labels and provide practical suggestions for campaign teams on how to respond to negative attacks."