The Effect of Stereotyped Words on Political Judgments

Abstract

Introduction and method.-The effects of stereotyped political terms and party labels upon the behavior of the voting public has long been an interesting question to social psychologists as well as to members of minor political parties. In order to ascertain the direction and extent of the influence exerted by such words as and Communism, the following experimental study was undertaken. The method used was simple. First, a list of sixteen statements was drawn up, each representing a single line of thought on a political question. This list was presented to 742 subjects, including university classes, public school teachers, night high-school students and some professional people. The subject's choice was limited to marking either Yes or No opposite each question, in order to get the utmost simplicity, and in order to duplicate the manner of voting our decisions on political questions and candidates. The statements chosen were approved by four competent observers as being appropriate in content to the following eight stereotyped words: Conservatism, Fascism, Patriotism, Pacifism, Liberalism, Radicalism, Socialism, and Communism. Two statements corresponded to each stereotype in the order given. Some of the statements follow as they appeared in the first questionnaire.