Voters uncertain about mavericks, study says

Do people like to vote for mavericks? According to a new UCI study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, it appears people are torn.

Three surveys by psychology professor Peter Ditto and graduate student Andrew Mastronarde reveal conflicting attitudes in the populace about political mavericks: They like what it says about a person’s character but still have trouble liking someone who disagrees with them.

“Basically, when people evaluate a maverick politician, they are stuck in a kind of ‘cross fire,’” Ditto said in a statement. “This is particularly true when mavericks are members of our own political party. We like them because they show a key sign of trustworthiness, but we dislike them because they disagree with us.”

How can a political maverick best compete? By focusing on character, Ditto said.

— Michael Alexander