Do Interviewers Affect Measures of Factual Political Knowledge? Evidence from Austria and Germany

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Johann ◽  
Sabrina J Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Political Knowledge ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Interviewer Effects ◽  
Stereotype Threat Theory ◽  
National Election Study ◽  
Threat Effect ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Low Educated

Abstract This study examines how interviewers’ gender and education affect the measured level of factual political knowledge by drawing on competing theoretical frameworks: stereotype threat theory and interviewer noncompliance with the instructions. Testing these mechanisms using survey data from the Austrian National Election Study (AUTNES) and the German Longitudinal Election Study (GLES), we find no evidence for a stereotype threat effect, but seem to observe interviewer effects resulting from interviewer non-compliance. In Germany, respondents’ measured level of knowledge was significantly higher when a male interviewer, regardless of his education, conducted the interview, compared with low educated female interviewers. This finding has implications for survey-based studies, which measure factual political knowledge, for example attempts to limit such effects should be made during the interviewer briefing.

Personality Traits and the Early Origins of Political Sophistication: Openness to Experience or Intellectualism?

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-140
Author(s):  
Alexandre Blanchet
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Need For Cognition ◽  
Political Knowledge ◽  
Openness To Experience ◽  
Political Discussion ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Big Five Model ◽  
National Election Study ◽  
American National Election Study ◽  
The Aesthetic

AbstractRecent research using the Big Five model of personality traits has highlighted the importance of personality traits to explaining diverse political behaviours and attitudes. The trait labelled openness to experience has also been found to positively affect political knowledge. This investigation seeks to distinguish two different components of openness: the aesthetic and the intellectual facets. An analysis of the 2015 Canadian Election Study (CES), the 2012 American National Election Study (ANES) and the 2013 ANES Recontact Study was conducted to explore this question. Openness had no significant impact on political knowledge when a measure that more precisely targets intellectualism, as represented by need for cognition, was included. However, open individuals did exhibit higher levels of interest in politics. Finally, openness to experience and need for cognition fostered political knowledge with frequency of political discussion and exposure to disagreement in the CES respondents (Canadians) but not in the ANES respondents (Americans).

The Autoregressive Influence of Social Network Political Knowledge on Voting Behaviour

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
SEAN RICHEY
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Political Knowledge ◽  
Vote Choice ◽  
Residual Network ◽  
Presidential Election Of 2000 ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
National Election Study ◽  
American National Election Study ◽  
Level Of Knowledge

Social networking has a powerful influence on voters, but we do not know enough about the mechanisms of network influence. Recent research shows that one network member's influence is highly dependent on the others in the network, i.e. autoregressive. I test whether the influence of social network political knowledge is also autoregressive. I show that a strong predictor of vote choice similarity is the level of knowledge of the discussant, but greater knowledge of the other network members lessens dyadic agreement. Data from the American National Election Study collected in 2000 show that in the presidential election of 2000 having a knowledgeable discussant increases the chance of vote similarity with that discussant by 5 percentage points, but vote similarity decreases by 10 percentage points for each level of residual network knowledge. This research confirms the autoregressive influence of social network political knowledge.

When and Why Are Voters Correct in Their Evaluations of Specific Government Performance?

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 860-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elin Naurin ◽  
Henrik Ekengren Oscarsson
Keyword(s):  
Common Knowledge ◽  
Political Knowledge ◽  
National Election ◽  
Government Performance ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
National Election Study ◽  
General Government

Democratic theories expect citizens to be able to accurately evaluate fulfilment of parties’ election pledges. We use specifically designed survey items from the Swedish National Election Study to compare citizens’ perceptions of the fulfilment of specific party pledges with actual fulfilment and assess circumstances that lead to correct evaluations. We find that political knowledge triumphs partisan attachments to incumbent parties when it comes to explaining why voters are correct. The results are interesting in light of common knowledge about the importance of partisan attachment in evaluations of general government performance: We argue that when specific election pledges are being evaluated, personal heuristics, such as attachments to incumbent parties, play a lesser role for judgements. Instead, the specificity embedded in the evaluation encourages citizens to engage in a more knowledge-based evaluation of whether pledges are fulfilled or not.

The Stereotype Threat Effect

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Moritz ◽  
Insa Happach ◽  
Karla Spirandelli ◽  
Tania M. Lincoln ◽  
Fabrice Berna
Keyword(s):  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Neuropsychological Performance ◽  
Neurocognitive Deficits ◽  
Online Study ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Threat Effect ◽  
Efficacy Expectations ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Neurocognitive deficits in patients with mental disorders are partially due to secondary influences. “Stereotype threat” denotes the phenomenon that performance is compromised when a participant is confronted with a devaluing stereotype. The present study examined the impact of stereotype threat on neuropsychological performance in schizophrenia. Seventy-seven participants with a self-reported diagnosis of schizophrenia were randomly assigned to either an experimental condition involving stereotype threat activation or a control condition in an online study. Participants completed memory and attention tests as well as questionnaires on motivation, self-efficacy expectations, cognitive complaints, and self-stigmatization. Contrary to our prediction, the two groups showed no significant differences regarding neuropsychological performance and self-report measures. Limitations, such as a possibly too weak threat cue, are discussed and recommendations for future studies are outlined.

Testing Stereotype Threat Theory Predictions for Math Majors by Gender

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shonna D. Waters ◽  
Michael J. Cullen ◽  
Paul R. Sackett
Keyword(s):  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Stereotype Threat Theory ◽  
Threat Theory
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