This article examines gender differences in emotional reactions during a pivotal political event.

Data & Methods: Survey data collected from voters immediately after the first 2016 presidential debate.

Key Findings: Women exhibited stronger physiological stress responses than men, despite similar recall of factual information.

Why It Matters: This suggests distinct psychological experiences among gendered audiences during high-stakes political moments.

The study analyzes public emotional reactions to televised presidential debates using implicit measures that capture affective processing beyond explicit memory.