Measuring Involvement with Social Issues.

Autor/inn/en	Nowak, Glen J.; Salmon, Charles T.
Titel	Measuring Involvement with Social Issues.
Quelle	(1987), (37 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Attitude Measures; Cognitive Processes; Consumer Economics; Higher Education; Mass Media Effects; Measurement Techniques; Media Research; Models; Participation; Political Issues; Public Opinion; Research Methodology; Social Problems; Test Validity; Theories + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Cognitive process; Kognitiver Prozess; Konsumökonomie; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Messtechnik; Medienforschung; Analogiemodell; Teilnahme; Politischer Faktor; Öffentliche Meinung; Research method; Forschungsmethode; Social problem; Soziales Problem; Testvalidität; Theory; Theorie
Abstract	A study applied research concepts from consumer product involvement to test a model for research on involvement with social issues. Issue involvement was defined as the state or level of perceived importance and/or interest evoked by a stimulus (issue) within a specific situation. Attitudes on four social issues--abortion, pornography, the mandatory seat-belt law, and proposed increases in university tuition--were elicited by questionnaire from 475 undergraduates in an introductory public relations course at a large midwestern university. These issues were chosen because they reflected national, state, and local concerns, thereby offering the possibility of wide differences in the level of involvement among the students. The questions were presented as part of a public opinion poll, and students were told that the purpose of the questionnaire was to assess their opinions on various social issues. Seven weeks later, a similar questionnaire, with questions about abortion and the mandatory seat belt law, was administered to 413 members of the same class. Results indicated that the approach taken to measure involvement in consumer behavior research is applicable, with appropriate adaptation, to mass communication research on involvement with social issues as well. However, standardized, reliable, and valid measures of the construct should be developed so that the precise role of involvement in these processes will be better understood. (Tables of data are included, and footnotes, references, a sample questionnaire and an assessment scale are appended.) (NKA)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC