Implicit Triggers, Identity(ies) and Attitudes to the European Union: An Experimental Approach

This project examines the implications of attachment to a political regime (in this case the EU) and exposure to implicit visual triggers for political attitudes and behaviour. As the EU is a relatively new organisation, it is likely that symbolic triggers (the EU flag) do not provoke the same deep-seated responses as a national flag might.

Therefore, central to this project is the role of functional visual reminders of EU membership that EU citizens are exposed to - for example on car registration plates and driving licences. Individuals may be unaware of their exposure to these triggers yet these triggers may shape attitudes and behaviour.

A series of online survey experiments with visual cues will expose participants in England, Scotland and Wales, within the UK, and in Ireland to implicit symbolic and functional triggers related to the European Union. The experiments will also manipulate the context in which the individual is exposed to the triggers (threatening or non-threatening). The innovative methods and techniques developed in this project will produce new insights into the relationship between identity and political behaviour.