The Influence of Intraparty Political Debates on Candidate Preference

<jats:p> This study examined the influence of intraparty political debates during the 1984 presidential campaign. The results indicated that intraparty debates exert significant influence on viewer attitudes about participating candidates and on viewer interest in the political campaign. The study demonstrated that candidate violations of viewer expectations provide a useful theoretical explanation for significant shifts in viewer attitudes and preferences. </jats:p>