Does Anxiety Make Us “Informed” Citizens? The Mediating Role of Information-Seeking and Internal Political Efficacy in Forming Political Attitudes

Abstract

Emotions are inseparable from political decision-making. This idea has been especially strongly supported for negative emotions. The current study examines the role of anxiety in forming political attitudes using data from a nationally representative American National Election Studies survey ( N = 5900). Our path analysis highlights a significant indirect relationship between anxiety and political participation through two mediators: information-seeking tendencies and internal political efficacy. By examining the unique role of anxiety in political decision-making, our study provides a more nuanced understanding of how negative emotions can impact democracy.