Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: It has long been documented that there is a relationship between survey response and topic salience, namely that individuals responding to a survey are likely to find the survey topic more salient than nonrespondents. For election surveys, nonresponse resulting from lack of salience can impact findings because respondents are generally more educated and politically involved; however, as interest in political campaigns increases over the course of an election, this type of nonresponse theoretically should decline. Using data from the 2000 National Annenberg Election Survey (NAES), which was conducted nearly continuously between December 14, 1999 and January 19, 2001, this study investigates the issue of nonresponse in a RDD telephone survey across the 2000 election cycle. The NAES employed a rolling cross sectional design, whereby each day represents a simple random sample cross section of respondents. The NAES made efforts to increase response rates by calling potential respondents back a maximum of eighteen times and using refusal conversions. This study investigates the representativeness of the sample over time by comparing respondents to the Current Population Survey estimates each month over time. Other variables investigated as explaining differences in survey representativeness over time include: temperature, sample size, and number of dials required to reach the respondent.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The American public is not inherently casualty averse. In fact, U.S. casualties do impact foreign policy via the public but in different ways according to the salience of the conflict (casualty totals/conflict nature). The following hypotheses may be used:

1. Battle-related deaths may be the single most important indicator of war costs but this measure is moderated by an assessment of salience as it relates to the value of the cost. Few other costs have any reality or tangibility with the public other than casualties. This represents a variable cost-tolerance relative to the perceived salience of the issue based on assessed national security impact. Differences will likely be identifiable between different groups within the mass public especially those most directly impacted by casualties.

2. The nature of the conflict largely defines the perception of threat. The larger the conflict and/or the nearer actual threat, the greater the salience (in conjunction with casualty rates).

3. Individual experiences will vary according to temporal and cognitive proximity. Temporal proximity matters, and because the rate of casualty accumulation changes, so will the impact of casualties on opinion.” (Gartner, Segura, & Wilkening, 1997) However, proximate war costs may accentuate cost analysis through information diffusion. (Krassa, 1990) This may derive from temporal or relational proximity (where and who). The greater the affinity the greater the strength of the response according to the unique set of experience, ideas, and relationships of each individual. Yet, some of these should be definable according to their demographics and psychographics. Opinion is a product of a social phenomenon and not merely a reflection of personal experiences alone. (Kinder & Kiewiet 1981; Gartner, et al. 1997) “Social context forms individual perspectives on politics and policy.” (Tolbert & Hero, 1996)

4. Foreign policy decisions often relate more to domestic issues than international ones when the public is activated. This should be seen in a more extreme response to the foreign policy related conflict questions than to the domestic questions.

5. The greater the number of casualties in relation to the overall numbers of troops and in an inverse relationship to the threat posed by the conflict type, the greater the negative reaction, i.e. withdraw versus buildup, on support for the conflict.

6. Presidential cues lead public opinion in foreign policy matters including response to casualties. (Almond, 1960; Mueller, 1973; Neustadt, 1980; Jentleson, 1992)

There may be arguments for other causes for policy changes during conflicts. However, the likelihood that such alternative contributing factors may exist does not completely mask the relevance of media and political actor roles given the likelihood that similar influences exist in most, if not all, combat situations. Even early research done by Verba (1967), suggested approval of an existing war may go either way given varying factors. The same degree of losses might lead to public cries for withdrawal or escalation depending on the context based on the salience which has not been studied. Current and past conflicts will be contrasted with relevant polling data to parse key differences.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper examines the saliency of punitive correctional policy by using Q methodology to describe the priorities of two civic elites: the League of Women Voters and the board of the Chamber of Commerce in Muncie, Indiana. Previously the priorities of the state legislators in this area were studied.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study examined which stakeholder groups are salient and whether there has been a change of salience after the Enron collapse. It also investigated which attributes -- legitimacy, power and urgency -- render certain stakeholders salient based on stakeholder and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) theory. Content analyses of press releases from fifty Fortune 500 companies and news stories of The New York Times and The Washington Post published between 2001 and 2005 found that the most frequently mentioned stakeholder was the stockholders both in the press releases and news coverage. The press releases mentioned customers more frequently than did the newspapers, whereas the newspapers talked more about employees and the government. After the accounting scandals in 2002, the most notable change was the increase of mentions about stockholders. In terms of attributes, press releases and media attended more to legitimacy than to power or urgency among all stakeholders, except for the government. When the government was mentioned, power became an overwhelming attribute. The finding of salience of the stockholder group supports general criticism about economic news that it concentrates on the interests of stockholders. Practical implication was discussed from the perspective of newsworthiness.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Prior research on mood management through media consumption has encountered mixed results. This study seeks to address these discrepancies by incorporating time of measurement into the examination of regulatory outcomes and by identifying trait-like cognitive moderators that presumably are involved in the regulation of negative moods. Results showed that sad mood initially fostered longer listening to mood-compatible music but such preference decreased over time, suggesting the merits of considering temporal changes in the mood-repair process. In addition, ruminative trait was found to be a significant factor in how people cope with their sad moods, whereas mood salience was not.