{
  "id": 15032535,
  "title": "Belief in change matters more than political anger when it comes to voting intentions, study suggests",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/belief-in-change-matters-more-than-political-anger-when-it-comes-to",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-16T20:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-belief-political-anger-voting-intentions.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Believing change is possible holds greater sway than political anger when influencing voting intentions, according to a study from Michigan State University's Department of Communication. The research, published in PLOS ONE, examined how anger impacts political activism and voting decisions. While anger can motivate action, it does not automatically result in voting; the key factor is belief in one's ability to influence outcomes. The Anger Activism Model, developed by lead investigator Monique Turner, explains this relationship, showing that perceived efficacy plays a crucial role. The study surveyed 1,950 U.S. adults five weeks before the 2024 presidential election, revealing that doubt about one's ability to change what provokes anger leads to greater willingness to engage in political activism, such as volunteering for campaigns. However, extreme anger actually correlated with lower interest in voting among those who felt powerless. The findings suggest that communication professionals and political campaigns should offer tangible ways for people to act and provide additional efforts to encourage voting, as those who are most angry are least likely to cast their ballots.",
  "summary": "With the 2026 midterm elections around the corner, voters may be feeling everything from excitement to fear. But how might anger motivate political activism and, ultimately, influence who turns out to vote?",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}