Rhee, Crabtree, & Horiuchi Flashcards
What is the main research question in Rhee, Crabtree, and Horiuchi (2023)?
When and how does public diplomacy influence foreign public opinion, especially in the face of media framing and perceived motive sincerity?//Do the perceived motivations of a state alter the effect of their public diplomacy campaigns?
What theory do Rhee et al. use to explain reactions to public diplomacy?
They draw on “insincerity aversion,” which suggests people react negatively if they think a foreign country’s aid is motivated by self-interest rather than goodwill.
What are the two main hypotheses in the study?
Sincerity Hypothesis: When aid is framed as sincere, public opinion becomes more favorable.
Insincerity Hypothesis: If motives are framed as insincere, the positive effect of aid disappears.
What was the real-world case used in their experiment?
A Russian medical donation to the U.S. during COVID-19, which was covered differently in the media—some framed it as generous, others as politically motivated.
How was the experiment designed?
A survey experiment with 3 groups:
Control (no article)
Treatment 1 (aid framed as sincere)
Treatment 2 (aid framed as strategic/self-interested)
What were the key findings on the “sanctions” outcome?
Sincere framing (T1) led to reduced support for sanctions on Russia.
Insincere framing (T2) cancelled out the positive effect of the aid.
No backlash: T2 didn’t raise support for sanctions above the control.
What does the study say about changing enemy images?
It’s hard to change enemy images due to bias, but dramatic events (like a pandemic) and positive media framing can make it possible.
What is “political personalization” and how does it relate to public diplomacy?
It’s the tendency to judge entire nations by their leaders. Media framing of leaders (e.g., Obama) can shape public opinion of a whole country.
What role does the media play in public diplomacy success?
The media can amplify or obstruct diplomacy’s effects, depending on whether it presents aid as sincere or manipulative.
What broader contribution does the article make to IR literature?
It shows that foreign public opinion can change, especially during crises, and that media framing is a crucial factor in diplomacy outcomes.
What method do Rhee, Crabtree, and Horiuchi (2023) use to address their question?
survey experiment
What do Rhee, Crabtree, and Horiuchi (2023) hypothesize will happen if citizens are exposed to both positive frames painting the donor country as sincere and negative frames painting the donor country as insincere?
The negative frame will weaken the positive effect of the positive frame.
In Rhee, Crabtree, and Horiuchi (2023)’s experiment, how did treatment 2 differ from treatment 1?
Treatment 2 includes a quote suggesting that Russia has ulterior motives for its donation.
With which dependent variable did Rhee, Crabtree, and Horiuchi (2023) find the strongest effects?
Support for sanctions against Russia
