Emphasis Framing and the Role of Perceived Knowledge: A Survey Experiment Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • 2017 Policy Studies Organization The relationship between emphasis framing and public opinion has received considerable attention in political science, psychology, and mass communication studies. However, what moderating role perceived knowledge plays in influencing emphasis framing remains unsettled. We explore this relationship using a survey-experiment embedded within a large-N, nationally representative survey that allows us to test two specific hypotheses. First, we empirically test whether an emphasis frame influences policy support. Second, we test the moderating effect of perceived knowledge. We test the emphasis framing effects of the name given to a hot-button political issue, while controlling for other survey treatments. Furthermore, we evaluate the degree to which perceived knowledge of the issue moderates the relationship between the emphasis frame and support for hydraulic fracturing. We find support both for the role emphasis framing plays and for perceived knowledge as a moderator.

published proceedings

  • REVIEW OF POLICY RESEARCH

altmetric score

  • 1.85

author list (cited authors)

  • Bullock, J. B., & Vedlitz, A.

citation count

  • 9

complete list of authors

  • Bullock, Justin B||Vedlitz, Arnold

publication date

  • July 2017

publisher