Universität zu Köln

Goerres, Achim ORCID: 0000-0002-6065-6613 and Prinzen, Katrin (2012). Can We Improve the Measurement of Attitudes Towards the Welfare State? A Constructive Critique of Survey Instruments with Evidence from Focus Groups. Soc. Indic. Res., 109 (3). S. 515 - 535. DORDRECHT: SPRINGER. ISSN 1573-0921

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Abstract

There is a large and growing literature on welfare state attitudes, most of which is built on random-sample population surveys with standardised closed-question items. This article criticises the existing survey instruments, especially those that are used within the International Social Survey Programme, in a novel approach with focus group data from Germany. The article demonstrates: firstly, these instruments underestimate the inconsistency (the degree to which attitudes logically contradict each other), the uncertainty (the degree to which individuals are unsure about what to think), the ambivalence (the simultaneous occurrence of positive and negative reactions) and non-attitudes towards welfare state activities that common people have. Secondly, the meaning of these items to respondents seems to vary to such an extent that inference based on such measures is questionable. Finally, the article concludes by suggesting some survey instruments that alleviate these measurement problems.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Goerres, Achim UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-6065-6613 UNSPECIFIED Prinzen, Katrin UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-478208
DOI:	10.1007/s11205-011-9915-5
Journal or Publication Title:	Soc. Indic. Res.
Volume:	109
Number:	3
Page Range:	S. 515 - 535
Date:	2012
Publisher:	SPRINGER
Place of Publication:	DORDRECHT
ISSN:	1573-0921
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language PUBLIC-ATTITUDES; REDISTRIBUTION; AMBIVALENCE; DIMENSIONS; EDUCATION; OPINION; SUPPORT; WORLDS; AGE Multiple languages Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary; Sociology Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/47820