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7 - The Psychology of Public Opinion

from Part I - Foundations of Political Psychology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2022

By
Lauren C. Howe  and
Jon A. Krosnick
Edited by
Danny Osborne  and
Chris G. Sibley
Danny Osborne
Affiliation:
University of Auckland
Chris G. Sibley
Affiliation:
University of Auckland
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Summary

What is public opinion, what factors cause it to form in particular ways, and why does it matter? In this chapter, we define public opinion as opinions on matters of public debate that have significant implications for society. Then, we provide an overview of key developments in three central topics in research on public opinion. First, we discuss research on opinionation, or when and why a person forms an opinion on a political topic. Second, we discuss directionality of opinion, or factors that shape whether a person forms a particular kind of opinion (e.g., favourable or unfavourable) on an issue. Finally, we discuss the consequences of public opinion, or how opinions shape action, with a focus how public opinion influences voting, civic activism, and government attention and action. We end by considering emerging research trends in the field of public opinion that can inspire future research on the topic.

Keywords

Public opinionOpinionationAttitudesAttitude formationPolitical action
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Political Psychology , pp. 104 - 117
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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