DETERMINING EFFECT OF PERSONALITY TRAITS ON VOTER BEHAVIOR USING FIVE FACTOR PERSONALITY INVENTORY

Abstract

The researchers have used four sub-dimensions (rule obedience, innovativeness, reactiveness and self confidence) of the five factor personality inventory redeveloped and modified by Somer, Korkmaz and Tatar (2002) for Turkish citizens to analyze the interactions of personality and voter behavior. The intentions are examined as intentions for certain groups of parties: left, right, new, new and religious. Rule obedience is found to create significant differences among respondent’s intentions to vote for a specific political orientation. The influence of demographic variables (age, gender and occupation) on personality sub-dimensions and on intentions (together with personality traits) is examined. Age is found to have interactions with rule obedience, innovativeness and self-confidence while gender and occupation had interactions only with self confidence. These three demographic factors were able to explain the intentions of voters depending on their political orientations.

Keywords

• Political Marketing, Intention, Personality, Five Factor Personality Inventory