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A Mass–Elite Comparison of Wishful Thinking
Author(s) -
Granberg Donald,
Holmberg Sören
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
social science quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.482
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1540-6237
pISSN - 0038-4941
DOI - 10.1111/1540-6237.00134
Subject(s) - wishful thinking , elite , ambiguity , generality , context (archaeology) , parliament , social psychology , psychology , politics , political science , positive economics , economics , law , geography , computer science , archaeology , psychotherapist , programming language
Objective . The purpose of this article was to test the generality of wishful thinking by comparing mass and elite beliefs concerning the future of nuclear power in Sweden. Methods . Data from 11 (1986–1996) surveys of the public and a 1988 survey of the Swedish Parliament that included questions concerning preference and expectation regarding nuclear power were examined. Results . A tendency toward wishful thinking occurred consistently across years among the masses, but was considerably stronger among the political elite (members of parliament). The anti–nuclear segment of the public showed a weakened tendency to expect a preferred outcome. Conclusion . Ambiguity of the future outcome, involvement, and knowledge are discussed as key factors in determining the level of wishful thinking in a given context.