| Abstract: | I propose a model of the process by which political attitudes diffuse through the public. Following work by Converse (1962) and, especially, McGuire (1968), I assume that this process depends on variations in individual exposure to and acceptance of persuasive communications. The model specifies that exposure increases with individuals' level of political involvement; it further specifies that disposition toward acceptance of persuasive messages generally declines with involvement, but that the amount of this decline interacts with individuals' ideology and age. The model explains the initial public response to the issues of school desegregation in the 1950s, gay rights in 1978, defense spending in 1980, and the nuclear freeze in 1982. It also explains changes in public attitudes toward the Vietnam War between 1966 and 1970 and defections from the Democratic party in the 1972 presidential election. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
