A Legacy of Lazarsfeld: Cumulative Social Research on Voting
In: International journal of public opinion research, Band 13, Heft 3, S. 280-298
ISSN: 0954-2892
By reviewing the theoretical models that Paul F. Lazarsfeld used to guide his voting studies of the US electorate, & cumulative empirical findings that resulted from his research program, this article presents an example of how the study of social life can become a more cumulative empirical social science. Findings from studies of voting & social influence are organized by the psychological mechanisms & social variables affecting voting choices -- political predisposition, media exposure to campaign issues, interest in the campaign, & influence through opinion leaders. Statistical reanalysis reestablishes the importance of mass media exposure & political predisposition as determinants of high interest & participation, at least for the positive campaigns Lazarsfeld studied. 2 Tables, 46 References. Adapted from the source document.