This critical analysis of political behavior studies has prime importance for students of social and behavioral science—as well as journalists and politicians—in view of the enormous influence of such studies.The author finds studies that attempt to combine attitude psychology with traditional ideas about public opinion seriously wanting because of their neglect of the impact of issues as individual voters perceive them. Public opinion researchers have failed to identify motives for votes largely because they have assumed that each citizen's choices must be determined by attitudes toward matters of general concern. "They do not consider the possibility that votes might be determined by attitudes toward a variety of different matters, each of concern fairly few people." The relationship of public opinion to government decision making also is unexplained, Dr. Chisman holds, because of the assumption that "correspondences between government decisions and public views must be due to the influence of public opinion, transmitted by members of the public elite, upon members of government." Neglected is the reverse possibility: " these correspondences might be due to the influence of government and the elite upon public opinion."

Attitude Psychology and the Study of Public Opinion

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Chisman, Forrest P.

Psychology & Counseling

The Pennsylvania State University Press

<p>Leadership for Literacy provides specific, realistic recommendations and strategies for helping diverse literacy programs work together to gain much-needed funding; for combining the efforts of public officials, private employers, volunteers, and others to build an adult literacy profession and a national system; for meeting the new demand for ESL instruction; and much more.</p>

Leadership for Literacy: The Agenda for the 1990s (Jossey Bass Higher & Adult Education Series)

Education & Teaching

Higher & Continuing Education

Jossey-Bass

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