Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T06:53:25.690Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Misperceptions in Polarized Politics: The Role of Knowledge, Religiosity, and Media

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 June 2014

Michael A. Cacciatore ,
Sara K. Yeo ,
Dietram A. Scheufele ,
Michael A. Xenos ,
Doo-Hun Choi ,
Dominique Brossard ,
Amy B. Becker  and
Elizabeth A. Corley
Michael A. Cacciatore
Affiliation:
University of Georgia
Sara K. Yeo
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Dietram A. Scheufele
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Michael A. Xenos
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Doo-Hun Choi
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Dominique Brossard
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Amy B. Becker
Affiliation:
Loyola University, Maryland
Elizabeth A. Corley
Affiliation:
Arizona State University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Many Americans hold distorted views of elected officials and, as our study shows, the blame is due partly to our ideological biases and partly to mass media. Analyzing a nationally representative online survey, we corroborate recent research that found that one in five Americans still believe president Barack Obama is a Muslim and that almost seven in ten mistakenly think Sarah Palin, and not Saturday Night Live’s Tina Fey, was the first to say “I can see Russia from my house.” Although race, political ideology, and “born-again” or evangelical Christian status were the primary drivers of misperceptions about Obama’s faith, media use had a more crucial role in predicting the more widespread misperception about Palin. Misattribution of the Fey quote to Palin was greatest among heavy viewers of traditional news media and late-night TV comedy, which is suggestive of the “lamestream media” effect often espoused by prominent Republican figures.

Type
Features
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 47 , Issue 3 , July 2014 , pp. 654 - 661
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Althaus, Scott L., and Tewksbury, David. 2000. “Patterns of Internet and Traditional News Media Use in a Networked Community.” Political Communication 17 (1): 21–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bartels, Larry M. 2002. “Beyond the Running Tally: Partisan Bias in Political Perceptions.” Political Behavior 24 (2): 117–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baumgartner, J. C. 2007. “Humor on the Next Frontier: Youth, Online Political Humor, and the JibJab Effect.” Social Science Computer Review 25 (3): 319–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baumgartner, J. C., Morris, J. S., and Walth, N. L.. 2012. “The Fey Effect: Young Adults, Political Humor, and Perceptions of Sarah Palin in the 2008 Presidential Election Campaign.” Public Opinion Quarterly 76 (1): 95–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baumgartner, Jody, and Morris, Jonathan S.. 2006. “ The Daily Show Effect.” American Politics Research 34 (3): 341–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baumgartner, Jody C., and Morris, Jonathan S.. 2008. “One ‘Nation’ Under Stephen? The Effects of The Colbert Report on American Youth.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 52 (4): 622–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Becker, A. B. 2012. “Comedy Types and Political Campaigns: The Differential Influence of Other-Directed Hostile Humor and Self-Ridicule on Candidate Evaluations.” Mass Communication & Society 15 (6): 791–812.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Becker, A. B., Xenos, M. A., and Waisanen, D. J.. 2010. “Sizing up The Daily Show: Audience Perceptions of Political Comedy Programming” Atlantic Journal of Communication 18 (3): 144–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, B. 2008. No Need for a Recount Here: Political Comedy Is Winning, Big Time . http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE7DD113DF93AA35753C1A96E9C8B63&pagewanted=all.Google Scholar
Chaffee, Steven H., and Kanihan, Stacey Frank. 1997. “Learning about Politics from the Mass Media.” Political Communication 14 (4): 421–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S.G., and Aiken, L. S.. 2003. Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis for the Social Sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.Google Scholar
Dalrymple, K. E., and Scheufele, D. A.. 2007. “Finally Informing the Electorate? How the Internet Got People Thinking about Presidential Politics in 2004.” Harvard International Journal of Press-Politics 12 (3): 96–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delli Carpini, M. X., and Williams, B. A.. 2001. “Let Us Infotain You: Politics in the New Media Environment.” In Mediated Politics: Communication in the Future of Democracy, ed. Bennett, W. L. and Entman, R. M., 160–181. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Delli Carpini, M. X., and Keeter, S.. 1997. What Americans Know about Politics and Why It Matters: New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Eagly, A. H., and Chaiken, S.. 1993. The Psychology of Attitudes. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers.Google Scholar
Esralew, S., and Young, D. G.. 2012. “The Influence of Parodies on Mental Models: Exploring the Tina Fey–Sarah Palin Phenomenon.” Communication Quarterly 60 (3): 338–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Festinger, L. 1957. A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flowers, A. A., and Young, C. L.. 2010. “Parodying Palin: How Tina Fey’s Visual and Verbal Impersonations Revived a Comedy Show and Impacted the 2008 Election.” Journal of Visual Literacy 29 (1): 47–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garrett, R. K. 2011. “Troubling Consequences of Online Political Rumoring.” Human Communication Research 37: 255–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gerbner, George, Gross, Larry, Morgan, Michael, Signorielli, Nancy, and Shanahan, James. 2002. “Growing up with television: Cultivation processes.” In Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research, ed. Bryant, J. and Zillmann, D., 43–68. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.Google Scholar
Gorman, B. 2009. “Saturday Night Live Premiere TV Ratings: Way Down vs. 2008 with No Sarah Palin/Tina Fey.” http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/09/28/saturday-night-live-premiere-tv-ratings-way-down-vs-2008-with-no-sarahpalintinafey/28636.Google Scholar
Hartman, T. K., and Newmark, A. J.. 2012. “Motivated Reasoning, Political Sophistication, and Associations between President Obama and Islam.” PS: Political Science and Politics 45 (3): 449–55.Google Scholar
Hollander, B. A. 2010. “Persistence in the Perception of Barack Obama as a Muslim in the 2008 Presidential Campaign.” Journal of Media and Religion 9 (2): 55–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iyengar, S., and Hahn, K. S.. 2009. “Red Media, Blue Media: Evidence of Ideological Selectivity in Media Use.” Journal of Communication 59 (1): 19–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iyengar, S., Hahn, K. S., Krosnick, J. A., and Walker, J.. 2008. “Selective Exposure to Campaign Communication: The Role of Anticipated Agreement and Issue Public Membership.” Journal of Politics 70 (1): 186–200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, J. M. 2011. “Perry Rises in Recognition and Maintains Positive Image.” http://www.gallup.com/poll/149138/perry-rises-recognition-maintains-positive-image.aspx.Google Scholar
Kim, Young Mie. 2008. “Where Is My Issue? The Influence of News Coverage and Personal Issue Importance on Subsequent Information Selection on the Web.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 52 (4): 600–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klapper, J. T. 1960. The Effects of Mass Communication. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.Google Scholar
Kunda, Z. 1990. “The Case for Motivated Reasoning.” Psychological Bulletin; Psychological Bulletin 108 (3): 480.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kunda, Z., and Sinclair, L.. 1999. “Motivated Reasoning with Stereotypes: Activation, application, and inhibition.” Psychological Inquiry 10 (1): 12–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lyttle, J. 2001. “The Effectiveness of Humor in Persuasion: The Case of Business Ethics Training.” Journal of General Psychology 128 (2): 206–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meffert, M. F., Chung, S., Joiner, A. J., Waks, L., and Garst, J.. 2006. “The Effects of Negativity and Motivated Information Processing During a Political Campaign.” Journal of Communication 56 (1): 27–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mirkinson, J. 2010. “‘Sarah Palin’s Alaska’ ratings break TLC records.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/15/sarah-palins-alaska-ratings-tlc_n_783740.html.Google Scholar
Mooney, C. 2012. The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science-and Reality. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Morris, J. S., and Baumgartner, J.. 2008. “ The Daily Show and Attitudes Toward the News Media.” In Laughing matters: Humor and American politics in the media age, ed. Baumgartner, J. and Morris, J. S., 315–31. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Mosk, M. 2008. “An Attack That Came out of the Ether.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/27/AR2008062703781.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2008062703939.Google Scholar
Moy, Patricia, Xenos, Michael A., and Hess, Verena K.. 2006. “Priming Effects of Late-Night Comedy.” International Journal of Public Opinion Research 18 (2): 198–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nagelkerke, N. J. D. 1991. “A Note on a General Definition of the Coefficient of Determination.” Biometrika 78 (3): 691–2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newport, F. 2011a. “Cain, Huntsman, Bachmann, Pawlenty Gain Most in Recognition.” http://www.gallup.com/poll/148421/Cain-Huntsman-Bachmann-Pawlenty-Gain-Recognition.aspx.Google Scholar
Newport, F. 2011b. “Within GOP, Huckabee Most Liked, Palin Best Known.” http://www.gallup.com/poll/145508/Within-GOP-Huckabee-Liked-Palin-Best-Known.aspx.Google Scholar
Newsweek . 2010. “Obama/Muslims”. http://www.psrai.com/filesave/1004%20ftop%20with%20methodology.pdf.Google Scholar
Nir, Lilach. 2011. “Motivated Reasoning and Public Opinion Perception.” Public Opinion Quarterly 75 (3): 504–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nyhan, B., and Reifler, J.. 2010. “When Corrections Fail: The Persistence of Political Misperceptions.” Political Behavior 32 (2): 303–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petty, R. E., and Cacioppo, J. T.. 1986. Communication and Persuasion: Central and Peripheral Routes to Attitude Change. New York: Springer-Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pew Research Center. 2010. “Growing Number of Americans Say Obama Is a Muslim.” Pew Research Center. http://www.pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Growing-Number-of-Americans-Say-Obama-is-a-Muslim.aspx#1.Google Scholar
Rhee, J. W., and Cappella, J. N.. 1997. “The Role of Political Sophistication in Learning from News: Measuring Schema Development.” Communication Research 24 (3): 197–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rice, L. 2011. “‘Sarah Palin’s Alaska’: No Second Season (Dang?).” http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/01/07/sarah-palins-alaska-no-second-season/.Google Scholar
Rice, L. 2012. “‘Game Change’ Posts Viewership Record on HBO.” http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/03/13/game-change-posts-viewership-record-on-hbo/.Google Scholar
Robinson, J. P., and Levy, M. R.. 1996. “News Media Use and the Informed Public: A 1990s Update.” Journal of Communication 46 (2): 129–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rutenberg, J. 2008. “The Man Behind the Whispers about Obama.” http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13martin.html?bl&_r=0.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scheufele, D. A. 1999. “Framing as a Theory of Media Effects.” Journal of Communication 49 (1): 103–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schuessler, L. 2010. “Inside the List”. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/books/review/InsideList-t.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=books&adxnnlx=1291550459-HfeKlqpUS+LS8yB4K86LZg.Google Scholar
Sherif, Muzafer, and Hovland, Carl I.. 1961. Social Judgment: Assimilation and Contrast Effects in Communication and Attitude Change. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Sigelman, L., and Sigelman, C. K.. 1984. “Judgments of the Carter–Reagan Debate: The Eyes of the Beholders.” Public Opinion Quarterly 48 (3): 624–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strickland, A. A., Taber, C. S., and Lodge, M.. 2011. “Motivated Reasoning and Public Opinion.” Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law 36 (6): 935–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stroud, N. J. 2011. Niche News. New York: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sunstein, C. 2007. Republic.com. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Taber, C. S., and Lodge, M.. 2006. “Motivated Skepticism in the Evaluation of Political Beliefs.” American Journal of Political Science 50 (3): 755–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tewksbury, David. 2003. “What Do Americans Really Want to Know? Tracking the Behavior of News Readers on the Internet.” Journal of Communication 53 (4): 694–710.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Time . 2010. “Time Magazine August Survey.” http://www.srbi.com/TimePoll5122-Final%20Report-2010-08-18.pdf.Google Scholar
Weaver, D. H., Graber, D. A., McCombs, M. E., and Eyal, C. H.. 1981. Media Agenda-Setting in a Presidential Election: Issues, Images, and Interest. New York: Praeger.Google Scholar
Xenos, Michael A., and Becker, Amy B.. 2009. “Moments of Zen: Effects of The Daily Show on Information Seeking and Political Learning.” Political Communication 26 (3): 317–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, D. G. 2004. “Late-Night Comedy in Election 2000: Its Influence on Candidate Trait Ratings and the Moderating Effects of Political Knowledge and Partisanship.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 48 (1): 1–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, D. G. 2008. “The Privileged Role of the Late-Night Joke: Exploring Humor’s Role in Disrupting Argument Scrutiny “ Media Psychology 11 (1): 119–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, D. G. 2011. “Political Entertainment and the Press’ Construction of Sarah Feylin.” Popular Communication 9: 251–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, D. G. 2006. “Late-Night Comedy and the Salience of the Candidates’ Caricatured Traits in the 2000 Election.” Mass Communication and Society 9 (3): 339–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zaller, J. 1992. The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar