Who Supports Female Candidates? Evidence from a Conjoint Experiment of Gender Affinity in the 2024 UK Election
P11-S284-2
Presented by: Alejandro Tirado Castro
Do women vote more often for women? Is gender affinity a cross-party phenomenon? The gender affinity effect posits that women are more likely than men to support female candidates and rate them more favorably, particularly female leaders (Dolan, 2008; Sanbonmatsu, 2003). Whether driven by descriptive or substantive representation, evidence for this phenomenon remains mixed. Some studies indicate that female voters favor female candidates, especially in specific electoral contexts, while others find no consistent patterns. These inconsistencies suggest that gender affinity effects are not universal but rather shaped by candidate characteristics, party dynamics, and the broader electoral context. We hypothesize that any affinity effect should consider the diverse range of experiences of women. For example, female voters with children and candidates who are mothers show an affinity that we do not expect to see in men.
This study analyses gender affinity in voter behaviour using data from an online survey conducted after the July 2024 UK general election. The survey, with a representative sample of 2,500 respondents, included a conjoint experiment in which participants selected and rated randomly generated candidate profiles. Our results show that any gender affinity effect is for women candidates with certain characteristics. Our findings reveal a strong correlation between being a woman and favouring female candidates and, also, with female candidates with children.
Thus, although influenced by contextual factors, gender affinity continues to play an important role in shaping voter preferences and perceptions and highlights important changes in attitudes towards female candidates in current elections.
This study analyses gender affinity in voter behaviour using data from an online survey conducted after the July 2024 UK general election. The survey, with a representative sample of 2,500 respondents, included a conjoint experiment in which participants selected and rated randomly generated candidate profiles. Our results show that any gender affinity effect is for women candidates with certain characteristics. Our findings reveal a strong correlation between being a woman and favouring female candidates and, also, with female candidates with children.
Thus, although influenced by contextual factors, gender affinity continues to play an important role in shaping voter preferences and perceptions and highlights important changes in attitudes towards female candidates in current elections.
Keywords: Gender Affinity, Motherhood, Candidates, Elections, United Kingdom