Public Opinion Quarterly Research Articles

Just you wait… and fill out this survey. Discussion of the methodological aspects of waiting room surveys

A method commonly used in health care research is the waiting room (WR) survey. While patients are waiting for their appointment, they are asked to complete a questionnaire measuring their attitudes, behaviors and other characteristics. In this paper we synthesize practical guidelines for WR surveys by comparing the method with two similar approaches: public intercept (PI) surveys and drop-off-pick-up (DOPU) surveys. In this comparison we use the Total Survey Error approach Groves (Survey Methodology, Wiley, New York, 2004); (Groves in Public Opinion Quarterly 74(5): 849-879, 2010) and apply it to three case examples in which one of the three surveys is used. We take into account measurement (validity, measurement- and processing error) and representation (coverage-, sampling- and nonresponse error). From our review, we conclude that waiting room surveys, though limited to patients and their caregivers, can provide useful information on patients’ perspective on health care. Response rates in waiting rooms are usually high, but often not even reported. We recommend adjustment for sampling bias by taking into account the number of visits to the hospital per respondent and sample times proportionate to the number of sample members expected on a particular time. These surveys also allow for collection of para-data; i.e., relevant information in the circumstances of a request to participate in survey research, and behavior of surveyors can easily be controlled, or investigated in an experimental design.

Building a Framework for Mode Effect Estimation in United States Presidential Election Polls

Abstract As public confidence in polling has been waning in the wake of recent elections (Narea, N. 2016. After 2016, Can we Ever Trust the Polls Again? New Republic), many researchers have been seeking to diagnose the shortcomings in these data (Gelman, A., and J. Azari. 2017. “19 Things We Learned from the 2016 Election.” Statistics and Public Policy 4 (1): 1–10; Kennedy, C., M. Blumenthal, S. Clement, J. D. Clinton, C. Durand, C. Franklin, K. McGeeney, L. Miringoff, K. Olson, D. Rivers, L. Saad, G. E. Witt, and C. Wlezien. 2018. “An Evaluation of the 2016 Election Polls in the United States.” Public Opinion Quarterly 82 (1): 1–33; Mercer, A., C. Deane, and K. McGeeney. 2016. Why 2016 Election Polls Missed Their Mark. Pew Research Center. Also available at https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/09/why-2016-election-polls-missed-their-mark/). One conjecture stems from observed differences between polling results based on the methodological choice between live and non-live modes of survey administration (Enten, H. 2015. The Future of Polling May Depend on Donald Trumps Fate. FiveThirtyEight. Also available at https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-future-of-polling-may-depend-on-donald-trumps-fate/). While it has become commonplace to discuss “mode effect” on surveys, it reemerged in the political zeitgeist as the “Shy Trump” supporter hypothesis leading up to the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election (Edsall, T. B. 2016. How Many People Support Trump but Dont want to Admit it. New York Times). Motivated by the conflicting evidence for (Enns, P. K., J. Lagodny, and J. P. Schuldt. 2017. “Understanding the 2016 US Presidential Polls: The Importance of Hidden Trump Supporters.” Statistics, Politics, and Policy 8 (1): 41–63) and against (Coppock, A. 2017. “Did Shy Trump Supporters Bias the 2016 Polls? Evidence from a Nationally-Representative List Experiment.” Statistics, Politics, and Policy 8 (1): 29–40) this hypothesis, we built a complex statistical model that pools together results across multiple pollsters and throughout the election cycle while accounting for the nuances of these data. Specifically, we explored election data for the presence of mode effect using time series with a general additive mixed model (GAMM). We estimated mode effect at state and national levels to perform statistical mode adjustments, which we then compared to observed election results. In this paper, we utilized polling results from the United States Presidential Elections in 2016 (4208 polls) and 2020 (4133 polls). Using these data, we identified spatial trends and areas where mode effect was statistically significant at a 0.05 level. In summary, we make three contributions to the literature on mode effect adjustment in the poll aggregation setting. First, we present a straightforward and flexible statistical approach to estimating mode effect using time series data. In doing so, we help to bridge the gap between theory-focused statistical work and the social sciences. Second, we apply this method to two recent presidential elections, providing insight into the significance of mode effect. Third, we provide evidence for spatial mode effect trends suggesting regional voting behaviors that future scholars can explore.

Involvement with the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the values of sport

ABSTRACT This investigation aims (1) to describe how people associate sport with human values and (2) to analyse the relationship between media involvement with the Olympic Games and those values. Drawing upon the theory of human values [Rokeach, M. (1968). The role of values in public opinion research. Public Opinion Quarterly, 32(4), 547–559. https://doi.org/10.1086/267645], we tested whether involvement with Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games could affect perceptions of the association between sport and human values. Involvement with Olympic Games was compared to involvement with Paralympic Games. Results indicated the existence of three values of sport (human values associated with sport): (a) equality, (b) social recognition, and (c) friendship. Involvement with Olympic and Paralympic Games have different effects on perceptions of values of sport. Involvement with Paralympic Games positively affected values of equality and social recognition. But involvement with Olympic Games did not affect such values. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Correlational linkage analysis (Frequently Applied Designs)

Correlational linkage analysis (Frequently Applied Designs)

Issue salience (Public Diplomacy) (see also theme or media coverage salience)

The variable “issue salience” refers to visibility or prominence of a given topic or theme occurring in the news coverage and is used to explore first-level agenda-setting (McCombs & Shaw, 1972). In addition to actor salience and valence, issue salience is analyzed to describe and explore the news coverage on different events and public debates. Mostly, issue salience is measured as the number of mentioning a particular issue, topic, or theme.
 
 Field of application/theoretical foundation: 
 Issue salience is analyzed using content analysis across different subfields of communication and media research, including the field of public diplomacy. In public diplomacy research, scholars measure issue salience in the context of governmental communication on their official channels online and offline or the representation of countries in social or mass media. Researchers embed the concept of issue salience primarily in agenda-setting theory (McCombs & Shaw, 1972), analyzing it as an independent variable from which to derive implications of news media coverage on audiences’ perceptions on a certain object or examining the relationship between issue salience in the media and the public agenda.
 
 References/combination with other methods of data collection: 
 When it comes to analyses on issue salience and its link to public perceptions, a mixed-method study design incorporating content analysis in combination with surveys is used to validate issue salience.
 
 Exampe study: 
 Zhou et al., 2013
 
 Information about Zhou et al., 2013
 Authors: Zhang et al.
 Research question/reseach interest: Comparison between news coverage on Great Britain (in terms of themes) in U.S.-American and Chinese news media during the Olympic Games 2012
 RQ: What were the most salient themes in British, U.S., and Chinese media when they covered the opening ceremony of the London Olympics?
 Object of analysis: Newspaper (30 media outlets across three countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, not explicated)
 Time frame of analysis: 24 July 2012 to 12 August 2012
 
 Information about variable
 Varible name/definition: Media coverage salience: Number of mentions given to a particular theme
 Level of analysis: Story
 Values:
 (1) Countryside (e.g., emphasis of British natural beauty and scenic sites)
 (2) Creativity (e.g., focus on British creative sector, such as arts, film, and literature)
 (3) Entrepreneurship (e.g., portrayals on entrepreneurs and investors, or global investment)
 (4) Green (e.g., emphasis on Great Britain’s sustainability and environmental protections efforts)
 (5) Heritage (e.g., focus on British royalty, museums, and historic landmarks)
 (6) Innovation (e.g., discussion of science and technology in Great Britain)
 (7) Knowledge (e.g., portrayals of research and development at British universities)
 (8) Music (e.g., mentions of British and music artists)
 (9) Shopping (e.g., emphasis on British shopping venues such as London as shopping city)
 (10) Sport (e.g., emphasis on sporting events or athletes, such as David Beckham)
 (11) Technology (e.g., focus on digital media, e-commerce, and IT services in Great Britain)
 Scales: Nominal
 Reliability: Krippendorf’s alpha = .90
 
 References
 McCombs, M. E., & Shaw, D. L. (1972). The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media. Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2), 176–187.
 Zhou, S., Shen, B., Zhang, C., & Zhong, X. (2013). Creating a Competitive Identity: Public Diplomacy in the London Olympics and Media Portrayal. Mass Communication & Society, 16(6), 869–887.

PUBLIC OPINION: BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS FOR THE SYSTEMATIZATION OF TRENDS

This paper sought to identify trends in the research of “public opinion”, allowing for an analysis of the field in a systematized manner. We carried out a bibliometric study of 2,536 articles selected from the Web of Science. With the aid of the CiteSpace software, we aimed to characterize the research front and intellectual base of the field. In relation to the research front, we noted an increase in publications between 1945 and 2016; we identified Robert Shapiro and Lawrence Jacobs as the most productive authors; among the most referenced articles were those by Gamson and Modigliani (1989) and Page and Shapiro (1983). We also identified that the majority of articles are: by North American authors; were published in the journals Public Opinion Quarterly and Sotsiologicheskie Issledovaniya; are indexed in the categories of Government & Law and Political Science and represented by the keywords public opinion, attitudes, support, policy, the United States and politics. With regard to the intellectual base in the journal co-citation network, the Public Opinion Quarterly, American Political Science Review and American Journal of Political Science stood out. In the author co-citation network the most prominent authors were Page and Zaller. In the analysis of the references co-citation, the most frequent texts in the network were by Zaller (1992) and Page and Shapiro (1992). We concluded that scientific output on public opinion is on the increase, with a dynamic expansion of the research front and intellectual base.

AAPOR Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement

Journal Article AAPOR Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement Get access Public Opinion Quarterly, Volume 82, Issue 3, Fall 2018, Page 622, https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfy031 Published: 18 October 2018

Comment

Comment

Chapter 8 – Media reporting of migrants and migration

Chapter 8 – Media reporting of migrants and migration

Abandoned not: media sociology as a networked transfield

ABSTRACTThe relationship between the disciplines of communication and sociology has been primarily described as being abandoned by sociologists. This article historicizes the alleged sociological abandonment of communication and media research and centers on media sociology as the key manifestation of an ongoing vibrant relationship between the two disciplines. It has two goals. First, I examine the contours of the abandonment notion since Berelson vs. Schramm, Riesman, and Bauer in Public Opinion Quarterly in 1959. I demonstrate the diversity and the depth of media sociology and argue that an US-centric positivist understanding of media sociology has led to the exaggerated and misleading notion of abandonment, which homogenizes theoretical discourse and discounts scholarly contributions from outside of the US. Personal and collective memories have also documented institutional and organizational growth of media sociology. Second, I propose to conceptualize media sociology as a networked transfield driven by questions transcending disciplinary little boxes. Rather than returning to the Lazarsfeldian media effect paradigm, media sociology as a networked transfield driven by questions will allows scholars take advantage of structural holes for synthesis and innovation.

Book Review: Women on the Run: Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era68.1492 HayesDanny; LAWLESSJennifer L. — Women on the Run: Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era (Cambridge University Press, 2016). Public Opinion Quarterly81(3), Fall 2017: 790–792.

Book Review: Women on the Run: Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era68.1492 HayesDanny; LAWLESSJennifer L. — Women on the Run: Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era (Cambridge University Press, 2016). <i>Public Opinion Quarterly</i>81(3), Fall 2017: 790–792.

Book Review: Uninformed: Why People Know So Little about Politics and What We Can Do about It68.1521 LupiaArthur — Uninformed: Why People Know So Little about Politics and What We Can Do about It (Oxford University Press, 2016). Public Opinion Quarterly81(3), Fall 2017: 795–799.

Book Review: Uninformed: Why People Know So Little about Politics and What We Can Do about It68.1521 LupiaArthur — Uninformed: Why People Know So Little about Politics and What We Can Do about It (Oxford University Press, 2016). <i>Public Opinion Quarterly</i>81(3), Fall 2017: 795–799.

Newspaper representation and power relations in infrastructure projects: a case study of Hong Kong’s Express Rail Link

ABSTRACTThis paper explores newspapers’ representation of different actors in infrastructure projects, and analyses the power relations between them through a case study in Hong Kong. The case in question is the highly controversial Express Rail Link, which connects Hong Kong to the extensive high-speed railway network in mainland China. It finds that under an immature democratic system, opponents’ political power and free press play important roles in forcing the government to make concessions outside the formal framework. The methodological framework employs a concept that takes media representation as a reflection of power [Van Dijk, Teun A. 1996. “Discourse, Power and Access.” In Texts and Practices: Readings in Critical Discourse Analysis, edited by Carmen Caldas-Coulthard and Malcolm Coulthard, 84–104. London: Routledge], and three theories seldom used in the planning field – Indexing Theory [Bennett, W. Lance. 1990. “Toward a Theory of Press-State Relations in the United States.” Journal of Communication 40 (2): 103–127. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.1990.tb02265.x], Agenda Setting Theory [McCombs, Maxwell E., and Donald L. Shaw. 1972. “The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media.” Public Opinion Quarterly 36 (2): 176–187] and Law of Anticipated Reactions [Zelditch, Morris, and John Ford. 1994. “Uncertainty, Potential Power, and Nondecisions.” Social Psychology Quarterly 57 (1): 64]. A new method for Critical Discourse Analysis, in the form of colour charts, is developed to portray the competition for representation in newspapers of different actors, paying special attention to power inequalities and which actors gain access to newspaper discourse and how they use it to convey specific messages. In this study, 500 newspaper articles (from two key newspapers – SCMP and Apple Daily) and 75 government publications in Hong Kong are analysed.

Misunderstanding Reliability

Misunderstanding Reliability

The Best-Seller as an Indicator of Societal Narcissism

Narcissism has become inculcated in many aspects of modern society. It can be found in the growing popularity of social media which enable users to post selfies; in the competitive race for fame, beauty and extravagant lifestyles; and in the public’s fascination with power-hungry and greedy politicians and business people featured on television and in the movies. Narcissism thrives when members of society admire, flatter and promote individuals with grandiose ideas and fantastical dreams. This paper extends the research of Mullins and Kopelman (The Public Opinion Quarterly, 48: 720–730, 1984), which studied whether or not excessive concern with the self is on the rise, using bestsellers as an unobtrusive indicator of societal narcissism for the period, 1950–1979. Carrying this research forward for another thirty years, it was found over a 60-year period that the proportion of narcissistic-related bestsellers increased approximately 100% for hardcovers (from 19% to 35%); and also over a 19-year period for Amazon sales (from 15% to 35%).

Estimating Polling Accuracy in Multiparty Elections Using Surveybias

Any rigorous discussion of bias in opinion surveys requires a scalar measure of survey accuracy. Martin, Traugott, and Kennedy (2005, Public Opinion Quarterly 69: 342-369) propose such a measure A for the two-party case, and Arzheimer and Evans (2014, Political Analysis 22: 31-44) demonstrate how measures A'i, B, and Bw for the more common multiparty case can be derived. We describe the commands surveybias, surveybiasi, and surveybiasseries, which enable the fast computation of these binomial and multinomial measures of bias in opinion surveys. While the examples are based on pre-election surveys, the methodology applies to any multinomial variable whose true distribution in the population is known (for example, through census data).

Manuscript Referees, 2015.

Journal Article Manuscript Referees, 2015 Get access Public Opinion Quarterly, Volume 80, Issue 2, Summer 2016, Pages 592–595, https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfw020 Published: 27 May 2016

The Issue of Fuzzy Concepts in Test Construction and Possible Remedies

With the first issue of 2015, I want to continue the series ofeditorials aimed at highlighting specific topics relevant dur-ing test construction. More importantly, I focus on issuesthat repeatedly lead to paper rejections. In this issue, I wantto take up the cudgels for a mixed methods approach in testconstruction. The quantitative aspects of testing a newlyconstructed assessment tool range prominently within thisjournal (Alonso-Arbiol & van de Vijver, 2010). However,some issues arising during the test development processcannot be dealt with using quantitative methods alone.Along with the coauthors of this editorial – experts in theapplication of a mixed methods approach in test construc-tion – I want to explore these issues.Many test constructions show a lack of awareness con-cerning the comprehensibility of items, specifically in per-sonality tests. However, this lack of awareness can haveimplications for psychometric quality. Frequently, it is sim-ply assumed that respondents’ understanding of a test itemmatches the meaning implied by the test developer. It is,however, rarely ever tested whether all respondents of thetargeted population actually understand the test items cor-rectly and in a similar way. As pointed out in the last edito-rial (Ziegler, 2014), item content should be precisely tunedto the needs of every potential respondent in a populationtargeted by a newly developed test. More specifically, per-son variables such as age, gender, and education (Ramm-stedt & Kemper, 2011) have to be taken into accountwhen constructing test items in order to assure that eachpotential respondent fully understands the meaning andmay respond accordingly. If these person variables areneglected in the process of test construction, the psycho-metric quality of a test may be substantially affected byfuzzy concepts. The goal of this editorial is to raise aware-ness for the detrimental effects fuzzy concepts can have intest development and possible remedies.

From digital media influencers to celebrity endorsers: attributions drive endorser effectiveness

We propose that attributions about an endorser truly liking, using, or desiring a promoted product mediate the relationship between source and message factors and persuasion via endorsement. In this paper, we integrate the persuasion literature into a framework for examining endorser effectiveness via focus factors (e.g., involvement, cognitive load) that determine whether a consumer thinks carefully or superficially about a message, and lead consumers to rely on different source and message elements (e.g., source attractiveness, argument strength). These elements then influence attributional processing. Correspondent inferences about an endorser can lead to enhanced advertisement and brand attitudes, and spur either fleeting identification with the endorsement or more enduring internalization (Kelman, The Public Opinion Quarterly 25:57–78, 1961) of the endorser’s message as a consumer’s own. Implications of our framework and research directions are discussed.

Response to Marc Sageman's “The Stagnation in Terrorism Research”

Dr. Sageman makes a good point that despite the influx of government funding in the last decade, terrorism scholars have not been able to answer what he calls a “simple question”—what leads a perso...