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Can We Improve the Measurement of Attitudes Towards the Welfare State? A Constructive Critique of Survey Instruments with Evidence from Focus Groups

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  • Achim Goerres

  • Katrin Prinzen

Abstract

There is a large and growing literature on welfare state attitudes, most of which is built on random-sample population surveys with standardised closed-question items. This article criticises the existing survey instruments, especially those that are used within the International Social Survey Programme, in a novel approach with focus group data from Germany. The article demonstrates: firstly, these instruments underestimate the inconsistency (the degree to which attitudes logically contradict each other), the uncertainty (the degree to which individuals are unsure about what to think), the ambivalence (the simultaneous occurrence of positive and negative reactions) and non-attitudes towards welfare state activities that common people have. Secondly, the meaning of these items to respondents seems to vary to such an extent that inference based on such measures is questionable. Finally, the article concludes by suggesting some survey instruments that alleviate these measurement problems. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Achim Goerres & Katrin Prinzen, 2012. "Can We Improve the Measurement of Attitudes Towards the Welfare State? A Constructive Critique of Survey Instruments with Evidence from Focus Groups," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 109(3), pages 515-534, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:109:y:2012:i:3:p:515-534
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-011-9915-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fastenrath, Florian & Marx, Paul, 2023. "The role of preference formation and perception in unequal representation: Combined evidence from elite interviews and focus groups in Germany," ifso working paper series 26, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Socioeconomics (ifso).
    2. Achim Goerres & Jan Karem Höhne, 2023. "Evaluating the response effort and data quality of established political solidarity measures: a pre-registered experimental test in an online survey of the German adult resident population in 2021," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 5431-5447, December.

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