When Data Don’t Matter: Exploring Public Perceptions of Terrorism

• In Event: Experimenting with Terrorism

Abstract

Public opinion polls demonstrate that most Americans’ perceptions of terrorism and terrorist threats are drastically out of line with actual events and risks. In this project, we first measure individual perceptions of terrorism in the United States. We then randomly assign participants to read a fictional news story about terrorism that present the real numbers, varying whether the source is a Democratic politician, a Republican politician, a scholar, or unnamed source. After reading the article, participants indicate the accuracy of the information and whether it is fact or opinion. Individual-level factors may also impact how a person perceives terrorism and interprets the experimental treatment. We measure Social Dominance Orientation, Right Wing Authoritarianism, and views on both Muslims and intellectualism to examine how socio-personality factors impact our results. We also measure news consumption and demographic variables, including political ideology and education.

Authors

• Allison Betus, Georgia State University

• Erin Kearns, University of Alabama

• Anthony Lemieux, Georgia State University