Icons and the influence of public opinion

We know that emotion has a major influence on the way individuals make decisions, but what part does emotion play in public opinion, when large numbers of people appear rapidly to determine on similar points of view? In this paper the author proposes a model of ‘emotional transmission’ through ‘icons’ — emotionally arousing images, events or verbal metaphors — as a mechanism for public opinion formation, and from it deduces possible strategies for responding to emotional campaigning.