Public Opinion Research Articles

FANE

In today's society, the continuous exchange of vast amounts of information, often irrelevant or misleading, highlights the need for greater awareness to distinguish between accurate and false information. Recognizing the reliability of information is critical to limiting the spread of fake news, a pervasive problem affecting various sectors, influencing public opinion, and shaping decisions in health care, politics, culture, and history. This paper proposes a methodology to assess the veracity of information, leveraging natural language processing (NLP) and probabilistic models to extract relevant features and predict the reliability of content. The features analyzed include semantic, syntactic, and social dimensions. The proposed methodology was tested using datasets that include social media news and comments captured during the lockdown due to COVID-19, providing relevant context for the analysis. Experimental validation of these different datasets yields promising results, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Have the policies of national political parties in Switzerland on mental health evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic? A comparative study of election manifestos from 2019 and 2023

Mental health has become a burgeoning issue throughout Switzerland, exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19 on populational mental wellbeing and psychiatric services, though its broader sociopolitical importance remains underexamined. To explore coverage of mental health policies and their evolution since COVID-19, this article assessed national party manifestos from the 2019 and 2023 Swiss elections. Pre-election materials were collated through online searches and subsequent outreach to party organisations. Manifestos were available from n = 6 parties, cumulatively accounting for 72.7% of national votes in 2019 and 72.2% in 2023, and were reviewed for explicit mental health policies or adjunct proposals (e.g. around drug policy and health prevention and promotion). Only a modest increase was evident in mental health policy content from 2019 to 2023, with proxy or adjunct public health proposals primarily represented (especially around prevention and promotion). Notably, only one party in 2023 proposed an explicit mental health policy, which was contextually linked to COVD-19. This juxtaposition between recent public opinion signals and the prioritisation of mental health within electoral frameworks could potentially be informed by other ongoing international and domestic concerns. Future research should examine how societal attitudes towards mental health develop and whether this stimulates political engagement or proposals across Switzerland and elsewhere.

Attitudes toward and exposure to gender discrimination in work life by pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons: a questionnaire-based survey among Turkish thoracic society members.

This study aimed to evaluate attitudes toward and exposure to gender discrimination in work life by chest diseases specialists and thoracic surgeons. A total of 275 members of Turkish Thoracic Society (TTS) were included on a voluntary basis in this online cross-sectional questionnaire-survey using an internal member-only social media platform of TTS. The questionnaire form elicited items on sociodemographic characteristics, occupational characteristics and gender discrimination in work life (general opinions, attitudes and exposure). Female doctors (vs. males) were less likely to be a thoracic surgeon (13.8% vs. 34.5%, p < 0.05) and a professor of thoracic surgery (0.0% vs. 26.7% vs. p < 0.05), and more likely to consider housework as a considerable burden (89.8 vs. 73.6%, p = 0.02) and the significant role of discriminatory, negative and dissuasive attitudes of male physicians in their career choice (67.6 vs. 35.6%, p = 0.039). Male doctors were more likely to considered that men are more successful in specialties that require active physical strength (65.5 vs. 27.7%, p = 0.005) and those with very long working hours and heavy shifts (57.5 vs. 39.4%, p = 0.001). Female thoracic surgeons were more likely than males to consider that specialties with very long working hours and heavy shifts are more suitable for men (26.9 vs. 6.0%, p = 0.027) and men are given priority in academic career promotion (64.0 vs. 13.3%, p < 0.001). Younger (vs. older) females reported higher rate of exposure to gender discrimination (p = 0.041) and considerable impact of social roles on the specialty (p = 0.007), while female doctors working as a resident (33.8%) and a specialist (50.05%) indicated higher rate of exposure to gender discrimination during their career (p = 0.024). In conclusion, our findings revealed that exposure to gender discrimination in work life was more commonly expressed by female members of TTS, particularly in terms of burden of social roles, career advancement options and leadership positions, along with significant role of discriminatory, negative and dissuasive attitudes of male physicians in their career choice. Accordingly, women remain underrepresented in thoracic surgery, particularly in the academic rank of full professor and in leadership positions with inability to promote after a definite step in their careers.

Sentiment Analysis of Indonesian Responses to the Conflict in Palestine Using KNN and SVM Methods

The prolonged conflict between Palestine and Israel has attracted worldwide attention, including Indonesia, which has a history of strong support for the Palestinian cause. This study aims to analyze the sentiment of Indonesian people towards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict using the K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) methods. The subject of this research is user data X (Twitter) which contains opinions about the conflict. After preprocessing, weighting, and labeling, 2960 tweets were collected and classified into three sentiment categories: positive, negative, and neutral. The KNN+SVM method is applied to classify the sentiment of the processed tweet data. The results showed that of the 2960 data analyzed, 33.8% were labeled positive, 38.9% were labeled negative, and 27.4% were labeled neutral with 82% accuracy, 83% precision, 82% recall, and 82% F1-Score. These results show that the majority of Indonesians tend to be negative in expressing their views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This analysis provides greater insight into sentiment patterns in Indonesian responses to sensitive issues, and contributes to the study of public opinion and social dynamics on social media.

Bayesian approach and demo ethical foundations for sustainability: Reassessing the role of democracy in achieving equitable social transformation and sustainable development goals

This article is devoted to studying the principles of the relationship between democracy and demo ethics as tools for transforming the sustainable development of society. The study is based on the assumption that the effective functioning of democracy is associated with such social phenomena as elections and electoral behavior. The study examined electoral behavior and surveyed members of society about the qualities of candidates to which they pay special attention. An analysis of qualitative and quantitative data demonstrating the democratic foundations of elections of members of society was conducted, and an analysis of the choice of voters in the extraordinary elections of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan by region was conducted. In this study, Bayesian network modeling is experimentally applied to formalize the problem of identifying and analyzing the behavior of virtuous personality traits. A sociological survey of public opinion was conducted using the questionnaire method with the participation of 826 people from all regions of Kazakhstan from May to June 2023. A questionnaire was used to collect data, the main purpose of which was to compare attitudes and find out what values are considered important for people, what norms of behavior are considered acceptable, and to understand what values and norms prevail in society. It is concluded that the concept of demo ethics promotes a positive transformation of humanity and helps to form a new leader of virtue, a ruler of the city, capable of making ethical rational decisions that can ensure a balance between the economic, social, and environmental needs of humanity.

Attitudes towards Ukrainian refugees: insights from the literature

The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in February 2022 prompted a significant influx of Ukrainian refugees into neighboring European countries. Comparative analyses have revealed that Ukrainian refugees generally received more favorable public reception compared to other groups, such as Syrians. This difference has been attributed to the perceived proximity and spillover risk of the war, as well as shared cultural values with Western countries. However, while initial sympathy towards Ukrainians is evident, concerns about economic implications and long-term costs may erode support over time. This highlights the need for sustained inquiry beyond war related empathy and cultural values. In response, this study calls for an in-depth exploration of refugee attitudes, recognizing the multifaceted nature of public opinion. Such understanding is essential for informing policymaking aimed at effectively supporting displaced populations and for fostering a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of current European responses to the Ukrainian refugee crisis. This paper critically reviews existing literature on public attitudes towards immigrants and refugees, identifying key themes and proposing avenues for future research.

Profiles of public attitude change regarding stuttering

PurposeA growing number of studies have sought to reduce negative public attitudes toward stuttering in pre-test/post-test designs using the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA–S). Most investigations have succeeded in improving attitudes, but about one-third of them have not. A previous companion study showed that intervention—but not demographic—characteristics of samples partly predicted success. MethodAuthors investigated individual profiles and predictors of change in nonstuttering individuals’ attitudes from pre-test to post-test after exposure to interventions or no intervention. Using pre- versus post-POSHA–S mean ratings from different samples (representing 7 countries and 6 languages) 29 samples comprising 934 respondents were categorized into four categories of intervention success from “unsuccessful” to “very successful.” These were compared to 12 pre and post non-intervention samples containing 345 respondents from a second companion study. Within categories, the individual respondents were sorted according to positive, minimal, or negative changes from pre- to post-tests on the POSHA–S Overall Stuttering Score (OSS). The non-intervention category served as a baseline for determining the effects of interventions on respondents who improved, worsened, or remained the same. ResultsAs in the previous non-intervention category, within all intervention categories, an unexpected and heretofore undocumented “crossover” effect emerged. Respondents with the least positive pre attitudes improved greatly, and respondents with the most positive attitudes worsened greatly. Those with intermediate attitudes changed minimally. The percentage of respondents changing positively differentiated levels of success in the intervention categories, while the magnitude of mean change did not. Potential predictors in positive and negative changers were not apparent from POSHA–S demographic and attitude variables. ImplicationsFuture interventions to improve stuttering attitudes should address their relatively unstable nature and be targeted differentially to positive, minimal, and negative changers.

Food Public Opinion Prevention and Control Model Based on Sentiment Analysis.

Food public opinion is characterized by its low ignition point, high diffusibility, persistence, and strong negativity, which significantly impact food safety and consumer trust. This paper introduces the Food Public Opinion Prevention and Control (FPOPC) model driven by deep learning and personalized recommendation algorithms, rigorously tested and analyzed through experimentation. Initially, based on an analysis of food public opinion development, a comprehensive FPOPC framework addressing all stages of food public opinion was established. Subsequently, a sentiment prediction model for food news based on user comments was developed using a Stacked Autoencoder (SAE), enabling predictions about consumer sentiments toward food news. The sentiment values of the food news were then quantified, and improvements were made in allocating Pearson correlation coefficient weights, leading to the design of a collaborative filtering-based personalized food news recommendation mechanism. Furthermore, an enhanced Bloom filter integrated with HDFS technology devised a rapid recommendation mechanism for food public opinion. Finally, the designed FPOPC model and its associated mechanisms were validated through experimental verification and simulation analysis. The results demonstrate that the FPOPC model can accurately predict and control the development of food public opinion and the entire food supply chain, providing regulatory agencies with effective tools for managing food public sentiment.

A Submersible Power Station: Part A Helium Power Conversion Unit

Nuclear power continues to hold great promise in the green revolution, however public opinion regarding its deployment is mixed. A submersible nuclear power station concept is presented here that is expected to allay many concerns that are holding back the growth of nuclear power. This submersible can move under its own power during emergencies and routine maintenance. Being stationed at sea it is earthquake proof. In the case of a tsunami it could decouple from the coast and sail to a location several miles to deeper waters in less than 30 min. Furthermore, it could be built, commissioned, maintained, refueled and scrapped in a country like the UK. This makes it proliferation-proof, a key concern with the wider deployment of nuclear power. In the present evaluation the philosophy and the electric power generation capability of the submersible power station are investigated. This includes a pre-feasibility visualization of the design. An evaluation is carried out into fitting it in a submersible of a size similar to the largest existing nuclear submarines. These designs may enable it to deliver 0.6 to 1 GW of electrical power.

MI5, the Security State and Communist Political Refugees from Nazism in Second World War-Era Britain: The Case of Gustav Beuer, 1938–1946

Abstract This article examines the British Security Service’s monitoring of Gustav Beuer, a Sudeten German communist and former member of the Czechoslovak parliament who arrived in London as a refugee in 1938 and set up home there until 1946. Although from a friendly country, Beuer was placed under continuous surveillance and was interned, together with five of his compatriots, in 1940–41. The article uses this case to challenge previous interpretations of MI5’s role in spying on communist refugees from Central Europe. It does so by taking a model developed by the German political scientist Matthias Lemke for analysing the widely varying levels of threat to democracy posed by exceptional security measures taken by liberal states in closely defined time-frames and applying this to Second-World-War Britain. Far from pursuing a linear strategy based on anti-communist prejudice alone, MI5 was obliged to muddle along in its policy towards Beuer and other communist refugees, assimilating unexpected triggers, shifting legal-bureaucratic frameworks, changes in wartime alliances and public opinion, and instances of ministerial action and inaction. The paradoxical result of this was to inject a certain amount of (unforeseen) pragmatism into MI5’s handling of ‘suspect’ refugees, while at the same time undermining its belief that covert fact-finding alone was enough to establish who was and who was not a threat. The article concludes that the self-doubts and unease within the British security state which are often attributed to intelligence failings and spy scandals in the early Cold War period had deeper roots in the Second World War era.

The Role of Fake News in Political Campaigns and Elections: A Global Perspective

In the digital age, the proliferation of fake news has emerged as a critical issue in political campaigns and elections worldwide. This paper examines the multifaceted role of fake news in influencing public opinion and electoral outcomes across various global contexts over a one-year period. It explores the mechanism through which misinformation is disseminated, particularly through social media platforms, and its impact on the democratic process. Employing a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, the study analyzes data from multiple countries to understand the pervasive influence of fake news. Is also scrutinizes the efforts taken by governments, civil societies, and media organizations to combat the spread of false information. The findings reveal a complex interplay between fake news, media literacy, and political propaganda, underscoring the challenges faced in safeguarding electoral integrity. This research not only contributes to the academic discourse on political communication and media studies but also offers practical insights for policymakers, media professionals, and the public in fostering a more informed and resilient democratic society.

When Local Governments Plan to Give Their Past a Future: A State-Wide Analysis of Heritage Strategy Documents in New South Wales (Australia)

The authorized heritage discourse sensu Smith asserts that cultural heritage, and in particular heritage places, can be managed for the benefit of present and future generations through appropriate measures of identification, protection and conservation. Comprehensive planning at the individual place as well as community/local government level is the backbone to good management if ad hoc decisions are to be avoided. While all local government authorities (councils) in New South Wales (Australia) are mandated to produce Local Strategic Planning Statements with a ten-year horizon that may include statements related to heritage management, some councils also promulgated dedicated heritage strategies. So far, the nature and comprehensiveness of such planning instruments have never been formally investigated. This paper provides a state-wide analysis of Local Strategic Planning Statements and council heritage strategies in NSW. The review shows that the priorities expressed in heritage strategies are often mundane, with none of the strategies expressing aspirational priorities or actions. The value of heritage to a community is assumed axiomatically, with very few heritage strategies expressing a vision for why heritage management is of community relevance. Only a few heritage strategies demonstrate how they, and their strategic priorities, are interlinked with other local, let alone state-level, strategies and policies. Very few of the documents provide evidence for the basis on which the strategies are founded, such as canvassing public opinion, situational analysis or projections of demographic, social, societal and economic trajectories based on strategic foresight. This review highlights much room for improvement. In a post-modernist age of alternative truths, where trust in governments is declining, it is imperative that local government heritage strategies be grounded in the community, offer transparency in how priorities are decided and, above all, provide a clear and aspirational vision for the role that cultural heritage shall play in the community.

Sporting words: how Indonesian commentators shape game narratives

This study analyses the Indonesian sport announcers in relation to their repositioning as integral constituents of the game through the use of language and cultural content and embedding them in the cultural context of the country. The main purpose is to analyze how commentators create stories that are appealing to audiences, evoke emotions as well as build up nationalism. In this qualitative study, commentary data from different broadcasts of sporting events is examined, with specific attention to emotionality, cultural and syntactical elements of language. The research shows that Indonesian narrators utilize storytelling techniques to captivate their audiences. Other issues accentuated are the themes of national togetherness or oneness, hardwork and solidarity that tended to be pronounced in important matches and international games. Some words or these images of language socialise the audience and positively prepare them to their devotion to the sport and unite them toward the success of the sport. For example, sentiments concerning success at the national level and pride at having originated from a successful area not only highlight narrower success but also extend it to the broader society. This study advances both sports and sociolinguistics by elaborating about language, culture and sports events in the context of Indonesia. It shows the importance of sports commentary as a means of fostering cultural identity and social integration. The study also describes how the commentators create stories appealing to the viewers and opens the way for future investigation into the role played by media narratives in developing public opinion and community participation. In its outcomes, this research broadens the appreciation of the role of sports commentary in the entertainment and cultural industries and emphasizes the influence of language and culture on the audience experience.

Resisting Alternative Images: An Ethnography of Visual Disinformation in Brazil

The battle against disinformation played a key role during the Brazilian presidential elections of 2022. Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro—and, to a much lesser extent, of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva—generated and disseminated deceptive and false “informative content” to influence public opinion. To counter the spread of fake news, different initiatives emerged. Based on a multimodal and hybrid ethnography, this essay discusses different modes of resistance to what we call “alternative images.” This term refers to intentionally misleading images with a deceptive referential value that are presented as accounts or reliable metaphors of reality. We describe three modes of countering these misleading images visually: public demonstrations, artistic interventions, and fact-checking agencies. Each one has its own modes of visual assessment and political intervention. The article argues for the importance of carrying out ethnographies of disinformation, capable of contributing to actual efforts against disinformation and alternative facts, along the lines of public and engaged critical anthropology.

Geopolitical Challenges in Public Governance

Geopolitics is the study of how Earth's geography both physical and human, affects politics and international relations. The Ancient Greek terms γῆ (gê), which means "earth, land," and πoλιτική (politikḗ), which means "politics," are the source of the term "geopolitics.". It is an academic discipline that studies how a nation's size, location, climate, terrain, population, and natural resources affect its politics, particularly its foreign policy. Geopolitics has a significant bearing on public governance. A framework for comprehending the power relationships that shape our world is provided by geopolitics. It aids in the analysis of how geopolitical forces affect human rights, cultural heritage, and the development of public opinion around the world. Insights into societal divides, migration trends, and the emergence of nationalism are also provided by it. Other than that, geopolitical factors can impact governance strategies in the context of governance. For instance, decision-making procedures within public governance, strategic planning, and policy-making may be impacted by the geopolitical backdrop of a given area. It may also have an impact on how various countries relate to one another, which could have an impact on international accords and policies. Additionally, geopolitics can be understood as a process that makes it easy to comprehend conflicts and tensions at several levels, including local, regional, national, and worldwide. It can also disclose power struggles between actors. This knowledge can help public governance manage these tensions and conflicts in an efficient manner. In essence, geopolitics is a major factor in determining the tactics and laws used in public government. It offers a prism through which we can view the intricate relationships that are necessary for efficient public governance, including those involving geography, power, politics, and international relations. Thus, a better understanding of geopolitics can support more intelligent, astute, and successful public governance.

Califat ottoman et nationalisme arabe vu du Maghreb : les Jeunes Tunisiens prennent la plume

Abstract This essay offers a reflection on the political-religious relevance of the Ottoman caliph in the Maghreb, proving to be a factor of Muslim unity, capable of influencing Arab political discourse and public opinion in the early 20th century. The analysis of the Young Tunisians’ press investigates the nationalist movement’s view of the Ottoman caliph between 1907 and 1918. Focusing on the response to the transformations involving the Ottoman caliph from the Young Turk Revolution in 1908 to the First World War, the article examines Le Tunisien and La Revue du Maghreb, charting the orientation of the Young Tunisians in the face of these changes : the reintroduction of the Ottoman constitution, the deposition of Abdülhamid II, the rise to the throne of Mehmed V, and the rumors for an Arab caliphate. As a result, the analysis of this case study shows the loyalty to the Ottoman caliph by the Young Tunisians. Finally, this approach allows to read the relationship between Young Tunisians and Young Turks from a different angle. Indeed, if the Tunisian nationalists view the Young Turk Revolution and a constitutionalist and liberal political project as a source of inspiration, and, at the same time, they affirm a strong pan- Islamist sentiment.

Decision model of public opinion risk in campus social network based on hybrid dynamic deletion and shortest path algorithm

Aiming at the problem that traditional network public opinion monitoring and searching are inefficient and can easily cause resource waste, the study firstly, through the dynamic deletion-shortest path algorithm to classify network text, and on this basis, innovatively constructs a text sentiment classification model based on the variant of convolutional neural network and recurrent neural network, and secondly, uses attention mechanism to classify the model. improvement of the classification model by using the attention mechanism. The research results show that the average precision rate, recall rate, and F-value of the dynamic deletion-shortest path algorithm are 97.30%, 79.55%, and 87.53%, and the classification speed is 397 KB/s, which is better than the traditional shortest path algorithm. In the classification effect measurement of long text, the accuracy and F-value of the recurrent neural network variant model are above 84%, and the accuracy of the text sentiment classification model with the introduction of the attention mechanism is improved by 3.89% compared to the pre-improvement period. In summary, the dynamic deletion-shortest path algorithm proposed in the study and the sentiment classification model with the introduction of the attention mechanism have superior performance and can provide certain application value for campus social network opinion risk decision-making.

How COVID-19 has Impacted American Attitudes Toward China: A Study on Twitter

ABSTRACT Past research has studied social determinants of attitudes toward foreign countries. Confounded by potential endogeneity biases due to unobserved factors or reverse causality, the causal impact of these factors on public opinion is usually difficult to establish. Using social media data, we leverage the suddenness of the COVID-19 pandemic to examine whether a major global event has causally changed Americans’ views of another country. We collate a database of 297 million posts on the social media platform Twitter about China or COVID-19 up to June 2020, and we take tweeting about COVID-19 as a proxy for an individual’s awareness of COVID-19. Using regression discontinuity and difference-in-difference estimation, we reveal that awareness of COVID-19 causes a sharp rise in anti-China attitudes. Our work has implications for understanding how self-interest affects policy preference and how Americans view foreign countries.

Public Opinions in Contemporary Vietnam Digital Newspapers. Case Study: Vnexpress and Tuổi Trẻ Digital Newspapers

Journalism and politics are intertwined in Vietnam and throughout the globe. This assumption is evident in Vietnam, where newspapers are viewed as political instruments of the party that educate and inform the public about national policies and national will. In the era of social media, where non-state media and anyone with a smartphone and social network account can express their opinions on social issues, the objectives of state-run newspapers have been profoundly challenged. In 2011, the politburo added a new objective for journalism in Vietnam, which is to criticize social issues for the general public. This paper examines the relationship between the three fundamental actors in the Vietnamese mediascape: newspapers, audiences, and the state. From the two case studies of the Vietnamese newspapers Vnexpress and Tuổi Trẻ, the mechanism of contemporary Vietnamese public opinion will be uncovered.

Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis for Online Products

A number of resources are now available for gauging public opinion about businesses, products, services, brands, and events because of the advent of e-commerce. Customers may find it difficult to distinguish between legitimate assessments and biased or false reviews, which leads to worse goods or services. Aspect-based sentiment analysis is utilized in this study to develop a natural language processing model to examine customer reviews and comments to ascertain the sentiment expressed towards certain qualities or components of a good or service. A few procedures involved in this undertaking include aspect extraction, sentiment classification, training, feature extraction, and dataset preparation. The T5 model will be used to train the model using a dataset of customer reviews, and it will be evaluated using a variety of performance measures, including accuracy (84.62%), precision (84.58%), recall (84.62%), and F1-score (83.39%). The project's findings will help customers locate services that meet their needs, and they will also assist businesses in learning more about the advantages and disadvantages of their goods and services.