Political Persuasion and Attitude Change Study: The Los Angeles Longitudinal Field Experiments, 2013-2014

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Michael J. LaCour

Version:  View help for Version V8

Name File Type Size Last Modified
  LaCour & Green (2014) Replication Files 08/19/2016 09:37:PM

Project Citation: 

LaCour, M. J. (2016). Political Persuasion and Attitude Change Study: The Los Angeles Longitudinal Field Experiments, 2013-2014 [Data set]. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]. https://doi.org/10.3886/E19206V8

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary
A randomized placebo-controlled trial assessed whether gay (n = 22) or straight (n = 19) messengers were effective at encouraging voters (n = 972) to support same-sex marriage and whether attitude change persisted and spread to others in voters’ social networks. The results, measured by an unrelated panel survey, show that both gay and straight canvassers produced large effects initially, but only gay canvassers’ effects persisted in 3-week, 6-week, and 9-month follow-ups. We also find strong evidence of within-household transmission of opinion change, but only in the wake of conversations with gay canvassers. Contact with gay canvassers further caused substantial change in the ratings of gay men and lesbians more generally. These large, persistent, and contagious effects were confirmed by a follow-up experiment. Contact with minorities coupled with discussion of issues pertinent to them is capable of producing a cascade of opinion change.

    Scope of Project

    Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage Southern California
    Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 5/20/2013 – 2/1/2014


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    Published Versions

    V8 [2016-01-18]

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