Psychological Approaches to Public Opinion

1
Psychological Approaches to Public Opinion

• Chapter 4 of Glynn et al
• Public Opinion

2
Attitude Research

• Belief idea about how things relate
• (includes systematic and taken-for-granted)
• Belief system cluster of related beliefs
  striving for consistency
• Values how things should be (terminal and
  instrumental)
• Attitudes general and enduring positive or
  negative feelings about
• Opinions are expressions of attitudes, whether
  verbal or behavioral.

3
Early theories of attitude formation

• Conditioning theories (a) classical
  (unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response,
  conditional stimulus, conditioned response. (b)
  operant (we come to adhere to attitudes that
  yield rewards and change those that bring
  punishment)
• Limitations e.g. overlooks that human reactions
  are reflective behavior does not always accord
  with attitude opinions often formed through
  discussion

4
Cognitive processing response

• Response models brain connects new information
  to existing feelings and beliefs
• Process models include ELM or elaboration
  likelihood model. Under certain conditions,
  message recipients carefully scrutinize message
  (high ELM).
• Heuristic models fast, short-hand methods that
  the brain uses to make sense of something

5
Consistency theories

• Balance theory describes attitudes held by the
  individual and the relation of these attitudes to
  one another
• Congruity theory assumes there are degrees of
  liking and disliking that there can be
  conflicting messages with shades of gray.
• Cognitive dissonance theory dissonance is
  uncomfortable, leading to attempts to reduce
  dissonance by (a) changing a cognition, (b)
  adding a cognition, (c) changing the importance
  of cognition.

6
Judgmental theories

• Adaptation level theory we judge things by
  contrast with what we consider to be normal
  our sense of normality shifts.
• Social judgment theory we have latitudes of
  acceptance, rejection or non-commitment. Our
  existing attitudes distort our perceptions of
  other peoples positions. Attitudes relatively
  close to ones own are seen as closer than they
  really are attitudes seen as discrepant are seen
  as even further away.

7
Motivational theories

• Motivational theories focus on the reasons why
  people have the opinions that they do. There are
  two kinds
• Functional theories attitudes serve
  psychological needs e.g. ego-defensive,
  value-expressive, knowledge, utilitarian
• Impression management theory what other people
  think may lead people to present consistent
  external images while maintaining internal
  dissonance.

8
Attitudes and behavior (1)

• Predictability of attitude as determinant of
  voting behavior only low to moderate
• problems of measurement
• choice of measures of behavior
• different tolerances for inconsistency
• attitudes that come to mind quickly more
  likely to predict behavior
• social and situational factors

9
Attitudes and behavior (2)

• Theory of reasoned action voluntary behavior
  calculated to achieve favorable outcomes or meet
  expectations of significant others.
  Predictability of behavior related to beliefs
  about the behavior, subjective norms about the
  behavior, behavioral intention, and actual
  behavior.
• Theory of planned behavior considers ability or
  inability to engage in behavior, and perception
  of ease or difficulty

10
Emotions and attitudes

• Cognitive approaches consider how do emotions
  impact with rational cognition. When polled, do
  people express opinions or feelings?
• Social approaches consider how social emotions
  such as embarrassment, pride or shame may
  influence expression of opinion.