Mass Media Flow and Differential Distribution of Politically Disputed Beliefs: The Belief Gap Hypothesis

Abstract

This study, based on five national telephone surveys, extends the knowledge gap hypothesis by employing beliefs, rather than knowledge, as the dependent variable, and by comparing education with ideology as independent variables. These changes address epistemological and micro-level critiques of the knowledge gap hypothesis while extending it in new directions. Evidence supported the hypotheses that ideology would be a better predictor than education of beliefs about the existence of global warming, but not its causes, and that the “belief gap” between conservatives and liberals would grow over time.