Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T20:09:17.340Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Young Adults' Knowledge of Politics: Evaluating the Role of Socio-Cognitive Variables Using Structural Equations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Silvina Brussino ,
Leonardo Medrano ,
Patricia Sorribas  and
Hugo H. Rabbia
Silvina Brussino*
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina)
Leonardo Medrano
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina)
Patricia Sorribas
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina)
Hugo H. Rabbia
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Silvina Brussino. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Laboratorio de Psicología Cognitiva. Facultad de Psicología. Enfermera Gordillo esq. Enrique Barros. Ciudad Universitaria. C.P. 5000 Córdoba. (Argentina). Fax: +54-3514344984. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The aim of this study was to create an explanatory model that allows analyzing the predictive power of a set of variables related to political knowledge; more specifically, to analyze the relationship between the education level of young adults and the variables, interest in politics and internal political efficacy. We also analyzed the combined relationship between these variables, together with age, and political knowledge. We worked with a sample group of 280 young adults between the ages of 18-30 from the city of Córdoba (Argentina). The data was subjected to a structural equation modelling SEM analysis, which allowed for the corroboration of the following hypotheses: the higher the education level, the more the interest in politics; the higher the education level, the better the perception of internal political efficacy; the higher the education level, the more the political knowledge; the more the interest in politics, the more the political knowledge; and the better the perception of internal political efficacy, the more interest in politics. Moreover, the following hypotheses could not be verified: the older an individual, the more the political knowledge; and the better the perception of internal political efficacy, the more the political knowledge. The model obtained allows for discussion of the explanatory value of these socio-cognitive variables.

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo elaborar un modelo explicativo que permita analizar el poder predictivo de un conjunto de variables que mostraron tener relación con el conocimiento político. Específicamente, analizar la relación del nivel educativo de los jóvenes sobre las variables interés en la política y eficacia política interna; además, la relación conjunta de estas variables y la edad sobre el conocimiento político. Se trabajó con una muestra de 280 jóvenes de 18 a 30 años de edad, de la ciudad de Córdoba (Argentina). Los datos fueron sometidos a un análisis SEM, permitiendo corroborar las hipótesis que indicaban que a mayor nivel educativo mayor nivel de interés político; a mayor nivel educativo mayor percepción de eficacia política interna; a mayor nivel educativo mayor nivel de conocimiento político; a mayor nivel de interés político mayor nivel de conocimiento político; y a mayor percepción de eficacia política interna mayor nivel de interés político. Asimismo, no se pudieron corroborar las hipótesis que postulaban que a mayor edad de los jóvenes mayor nivel de conocimiento político y a mayor percepción de eficacia política interna mayor nivel de conocimiento político. El modelo obtenido permite discutir el valor explicativo de las variables sociocognitivas.

Keywords

political knowledgeinterest in politicspolitical efficacyyoung adultsconocimiento políticointerés políticoeficacia políticajóvenes
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , May 2011 , pp. 183 - 194
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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

Abramson, P., Aldrich, J., & Rohde, D. (2002) Change and continuity in the 2000 elections. Washington, DC: CQ Press.Google Scholar
Arbuckle, J. L. (2003). Amos user's guide. Chicago, IL: SmallWaters.Google Scholar
Amadeo, J., Torney-Purta, J., Lehmann, R., Husfeldt, V., & Nikolova, R. (2002). Civic knowledge and engagement: An IEA study of upper secondary students. Amsterdam: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.Google Scholar
Bandura, A. (1986) Pensamiento y acción: Fundamentos sociales [Social foundations of thought and action]. Barcelona: Editorial Martínez Roca.Google Scholar
Batista Foguet, J. M., & Coenders Gallart, G. C. (2000). Modelos de ecuaciones estructurales [Structural equation modelling]. Madrid: La Muralla, S.A.Google Scholar
Bennett, S. (1988). Know-nothings revisited: The meaning of political ignorance today. Social Science Quarterly, 69, 476–490.Google Scholar
Bennett, S. (1989). Trends in americans political information, 1967-1987. American Politics Research, 17, 422–435. doi:10.1177/004478089017004005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bennett, S. (1990, January). The dimensions of Americans' political information. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, San Francisco, CA.Google Scholar
Bennett, S. (1994). Changing levels of political information in 1988 and 1990. Political Behavior, 16, 1–20. doi:10.1007/BF01541640CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bennett, S. (1995). Comparing American's political information in 1988 and 1992. The Journal of Politics, 2, 521–532. doi:10.2307/2960321CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bennett, S. (1997). Knowledge of politics and sense of subjective political competence. American Politics Research, 25(2), 230–241. doi:10.1177/1532673X9702500205CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bennett, L., & Bennett, S. (1989). Enduring gender differences in political interest: The impact of socialization and political dispositions. American Politics Research, 17(1), 105–122. doi:10.1177/1532673X8901700106CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brady, H., Verba, S., & Schlozman, K. (1995) SES: A resource model of political participation. The American Political Science Review, 89(2), 271–290. doi:10.2307/2082425CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brussino, S., & Rabbia, H. (2007). Análisis psicosocial de las tipologías de vinculación política de Dalton en la Argentina pos 2001 [Psychosocial analysis of Dalton's political involvement typologies in Argentina after 2001]. Revista de Psicología Política, 35, 53–68.Google Scholar
Brussino, S., Rabbia, H., & Sorribas, P. (2009). Perfiles sociocognitivos de la participación política de los jóvenes [Sociocognitive's political participation profiles of young people]. Interamerican Journal of Psychology, 43, 279–287.Google Scholar
Brussino, S., Sorribas, P., & Medrano, L. (2008). Características psicométricas de la medición del conocimiento político [Psychometric properties of the measurement of political knowledge]. Revista Iberoamericana de Diagnóstico y Evaluación Psicológica, 25(1), 179–192.Google Scholar
Brussino, S., Sorribas, S., Rabbia, H., & Medrano, L. (2006). Informe de investigación. Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica [Research report Ministry of Science and Technology]. Unpublished manuscript, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.Google Scholar
Byrne, B. M. (2001). Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Campbell, A., Gurin, G., & Miller, W. (1954). The voter decides. Evanston IL: Row, Peterson. In Bennet, S. (Comp.) Knowledge of politics and sense of subjective political competence. American Politics Research, 25(2), 230–241.Google Scholar
Cassel, C., & Lo, C. (1997). Theories of political literacy. Political Behavior 19, 317–335. doi:10.1023/A:1024895721905CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, S., Niemi, R., & Mattei, F. (1991). Measuring internal political efficacy in the 1988 National election study (NES). The American Political Science Review, 85, 1407-1413. doi:10.2307/1963953Google Scholar
Dalton, R.J., Flanagan, S.C., & Beck, P.A. eds. (1984). Electoral change in advanced industrial democracias: realignment or dealignment?. Princeton, NJ: Princenton University Press.Google Scholar
Delli Carpini, M., & Keeter, S. (1996). What Americans know about politics and why it matters. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Edwards, J., & Lambert, L. (2007). Methods for integrating moderation and mediation: A general analytical framework using moderated path analysis. Psychological Methods, 12, 1–22. doi:10.1037/1082-989X.12.1.1CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ehman, L. H. (1969). Political socialization and the high school social studies curriculum. (Doctoral dissertation). University of Michigan, MI: University Microfilms No. 70-4071Google Scholar
Fiske, S., Lau, R., & Smith, R. (1990) On the varieties and utilities of Political Expertise. Social Cognition, 8, 31–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frazer, E., & Macdonald, K. (2003). Sex difference in political knowledge in Britain. Political Studies, 51, 67–83. doi:10.1111/1467-9248.00413CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gardner, R. (2003). Estadística para psicología usando SPSS [Statistics for psychology using SPSS]. México: Pearson Education.Google Scholar
George, D., & Mallery, M. (2003). Using SPSS for Windows step by step: a simple guide and reference. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
Gordon, S., & Segura, G. (1997) Cross-national variation in the political sophistication of individuals: capability or choice?. The Journal of Politics, 59(1), 126-147. doi:10.2307/2998218CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hahn, C. L. (1999). Citizenship education: an empirical study of policy, practices and outcomes. Oxford Review of Education, 25, 220–231. doi:10.1080/030549899104233CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. (1999). Análisis multivariante [Multivariate data analysis]. Madrid: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1995). Evaluating model fit. In Hoyley, R. H. (Ed.) Structural equation modeling: concepts, issues and applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Jennings, K., (1996). Political knowledge over time and across generations. Public Opinion Quarterly, 60, 228–252. doi:10.1086/297749CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennamer, J. D. (1990). Political discussion and cognition: A 1988 look. Journalism Quarterly, 67, 348–370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klesner, J. (2003). Political attitudes, social capital, and political participation: The United States and Mexico compared. Estudios Mexicanos, 19(1), 29–63. doi:10.1525/msem.2003.19.1.29CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambert, R. D., Curtis, J., Kay, B., & Brown, S. (1988). The social sources of political knowledge. Canadian Journal of Political Science, 21, 359–374. doi:10.1017/S0008423900056341CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Landrum, R., Cashin, J., & Theis, K. (1993). More evidence in favor of three-option multiple-choice tests. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 53, 771–778. doi:10.1177/0013164493053003021CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lau, R., & Heldman, C. (2009). Self- interest, symbolic attitudes, and support for public policy: a multilevel analysis. Political Psychology, 30(4), 513–537. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9221.2009.00713.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lévy Mangin, J. P., & Varela Mallou, J. (2003). Análisis multivariable para las ciencias sociales [Multivariate analysis for the social sciences]. España: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Lohr, S. (2000). Muestreo: diseño y análisis [Sampling: Design and analysis]. México: Thomson.Google Scholar
Luskin, R. C. (1990). Explaining political sophistication. Political Behavior, 12, 331–361. doi:10.1007/BF00992793CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maravall, J. (1996). Accountability and manipulation. Madrid: Instituto Juan March, Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ciencias Sociales.Google Scholar
Martinez Arias, M. R. (1999). El análisis multivariante en la investigación científica [Multivariate analysis in scientific research]. Madrid: La Muralla.Google Scholar
Mondak, J., & Anderson, M. (2004). The knowledge gap: A reexamination of gender-based differences in political knowledge. The Journal of Politics, 66, 492–512. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2508.2004.00161.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mondak, J. (2000). Reconsidering the measurement of political knowledge, Political Analysis, 8, 57–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mondak, J. (1995). Newspapers and political awareness. American Journal of Political Science 39, 513–527.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morin, R. (1996). Turned out, turned off: millions of Americans know little about how their government works. The Washington Post National Weekly Edition, February 5-11, 1996.Google Scholar
National Assessment of Educational Progress (1990). The civics report card: trends in achievement from 1976 to 1988. Washington, DC: Department of Education.Google Scholar
Niemi, R. G., & Junn, J. (1998). Civic education: what makes students learn. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Patrick, J., & Hoge, J. (1991). Teaching government, civics, and law. In Shaver, J. P. (Ed.) Handbook of research on social studies teaching and learning. 427–433. New York, NY: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Pérez, C. (2004). Técnicas de análisis multivariante de datos. Aplicaciones con SPSS [Technical multivariate data analysis. SPSS applications]. Madrid: Pearson Education.Google Scholar
Pettey, G. R. (1988). The interaction of the individual's social environment, attention and interest, and public affairs media use on political knowledge holding Communication Research, 15, 265–281.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rhee, J., & Capella, J. (1997) The role of political sophistication in learning from news; measuring schema development. Communication Research, 24(3), 197–233. doi:10.1177/009365097024003001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schlozman, K., Verba, S., Brady, H., & Erkulwater, J. (1998, June). Why can't they be like we were?: Understanding the generation gap in participation. Paper presented at the APSA Political Socialization Subcommittee Meeting. Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Somin, I. (2006). Knowledge about ignorance: new directions in the study of political. Critical Review, 18(1–3), 255–278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soule, S. (2001, October). Will they engage? Political knowledge, participation and attitudes of generations X and Y. Paper presented at the German and American Conference “Active Participation or a Retreat to Privacy”. Potsdam, Germany.Google Scholar
Tabachnick, B., & Fidell, L. (2001) Using multivariate statistics. 4th Ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
Torney, J. V., Oppenheim, A. N., & Farnen, R. F. (1975). Civic education in ten countries: An empirical study. New York, NY: Wiley.Google Scholar
Torney-Purta, J. (2004) Adolescents' political socialization in changing contexts: An international study in the spirit of nevitt sanford. Political Psychology, 25(3), 465–478. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9221.2004.00380.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Torney-Purta, J., & Amadeo, J. (2003). A cross-national analysis of political and civic involvement among adolescents. Political Science and Politics, 36, 269–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Torney-Purta, J., & Stapleton, L. (2002). Multilevel structural equation models for school factors predicting civic knowledge and likelihood of voting in three countries. (Unpublished manuscript). University of Maryland, MD.Google Scholar
Torney-Purta, J., Lehmann, R., Oswald, H., & Schulz, W. (2001). Citizenship and education in twentyeight countries: Civic knowledge and engagement at age fourteen. Amsterdam: Internacional Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.Google Scholar
Uriel, E., & Aldas, J. (2005). Análisis multivariante aplicado [Applied multivariate analysis]. Madrid: Thomson.Google Scholar
Van Deth, (2000). Interesting but irrelevant: social capital and the saliency of politics in western europe. European Journal of Political Research, 37, 115–147. doi:10.1111/1475-6765.00507CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verba, S., Burns, N., & Schlozman, K. L. (1997) Knowing and caring about politics: Gender and political engagement. Journal of Politics, 59, 1051–1072. doi:10.2307/2998592CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vilas Nogueira, J. (2003) Bienestar individual e interés por la política [Individual welfare and interest in politics]. Revista de Investigaciones Políticas y Sociológicas, 2, 7–19.Google Scholar
Weaver, D., & Drew, D. (1993). Voter learning in the 1990 off-year election: did the media matter? Journalism Quarterly, 70, 356–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zimmerman, B. J., & Kitsantas, A. (2005). Students' perceived responsibility and completion of homework: The role of self-regulatory beliefs and processes. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 30(4), 397–417. doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2005.05.003CrossRefGoogle Scholar