The Impact of Polls on Public Opinion

Bibliographic Data

ID9754542
AuthorsKurt Lang (corresponding author), Gladys Engel Lang
Year1984
Volume472
Issue1
Pages129-142
Publication date1984-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-7162 • E-ISSN: 1552-3349
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0002716284472001012
OpenAlexW2125021448
LanguageEN
Citations received15
References cited6

There are three ways in which polls can influence the public opinion they purport merely to measure. Just being interviewed tends to arouse interest and to encourage some respondents to inform themselves and to clarify their views on the subject. It may even increase electoral participation. Second, there is little evidence that knowledge of where the majority stands has anything like the much feared bandwagon effect. Although many people are aware of poll findings, they react to these in more diverse ways, including tactical voting, than the bandwagon hypothesis implies. These reactions may in turn produce a third effect. Feeling that there is little support for one's viewpoint can discourage and even intimidate the advocates of a minority viewpoint, keeping that issue from being raised. Here polls can either act as a corrective or put a damper on discussion, making the minority view appear even less popular than it actually is

Bandwagon effect · Economics · Feeling · Opinion poll · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Public opinion · Public relations · Subject (documents · Voting · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology

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