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Testing the group polarization hypothesis by using logit models
Author(s) -
Rodrigo María F.,
Ato Manuel
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/ejsp.86
Subject(s) - categorization , psychology , contingency table , logistic regression , polarization (electrochemistry) , parametric statistics , econometrics , contingency , test (biology) , logit , phenomenon , social psychology , group (periodic table) , variables , statistics , epistemology , computer science , artificial intelligence , mathematics , paleontology , philosophy , chemistry , organic chemistry , biology
This paper focuses on methodological aspects of group polarization research and has two well‐defined parts. The first part presents a methodological overview of group polarization research together with an examination of the inadequacy, under certain circumstances, of the traditional parametric approach usually used to test this phenomenon based on pre‐test/post‐test means comparison across groups. It is shown that this approach will produce masks effects when groups are heterogeneous with regard to the observed change from pre‐test to post‐test. The second part suggests an alternative methodological approach based on logit models for the analysis of contingency tables from a categorization of the variable ‘kind of shift’. This approach is illustrated and compared with the parametric approach with a simulated data set. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.