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Using survey experiments for construct validation: “strong leader” questions and support for authoritarian leadership

Using survey experiments for construct validation: “strong leader” questions and support for authoritarian leadership
Using survey experiments for construct validation: “strong leader” questions and support for authoritarian leadership

Survey experiments are an increasingly popular tool for causal inference in political science. We argue that an under-utilized application for survey experiments is nomological/construct validation, where researchers evaluate whether indicators really measure systematized concepts. We demonstrate this approach by examining respondents’ preferences for autocratic leadership by asking whether those that say they want strong leaders who bend the rules or ignore parliament and elections really want undemocratic leadership in the context of an experimental task. While approaches that measure construct validity with observational data support the validity of these measures, our experimental data tell a different story. We find that respondents–even those who indicate a preference for “strong” leaders in survey questions–are less likely to choose hypothetical candidates who ignore democratic institutions and refuse to compromise with other parties. Our study contributes to the literatures on survey measurement and support for democracy and authoritarian values in established democracies.

1745-7289
Snagovsky, Feodor
2f722a69-c2c2-4ff0-9ee7-f4e251b9b5a3
Werner, Annika
dcafc9c0-9649-427b-b550-04d03e3c0b24
Snagovsky, Feodor
2f722a69-c2c2-4ff0-9ee7-f4e251b9b5a3
Werner, Annika
dcafc9c0-9649-427b-b550-04d03e3c0b24

Snagovsky, Feodor and Werner, Annika (2024) Using survey experiments for construct validation: “strong leader” questions and support for authoritarian leadership. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties. (doi:10.1080/17457289.2024.2341127).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Survey experiments are an increasingly popular tool for causal inference in political science. We argue that an under-utilized application for survey experiments is nomological/construct validation, where researchers evaluate whether indicators really measure systematized concepts. We demonstrate this approach by examining respondents’ preferences for autocratic leadership by asking whether those that say they want strong leaders who bend the rules or ignore parliament and elections really want undemocratic leadership in the context of an experimental task. While approaches that measure construct validity with observational data support the validity of these measures, our experimental data tell a different story. We find that respondents–even those who indicate a preference for “strong” leaders in survey questions–are less likely to choose hypothetical candidates who ignore democratic institutions and refuse to compromise with other parties. Our study contributes to the literatures on survey measurement and support for democracy and authoritarian values in established democracies.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 11 February 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 16 April 2024

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 498792
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/498792
ISSN: 1745-7289
PURE UUID: 58b80687-9c61-4ddb-bd72-779bba757734
ORCID for Annika Werner: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7341-0551

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 28 Feb 2025 17:34
Last modified: 01 Mar 2025 03:19

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Contributors

Author: Feodor Snagovsky
Author: Annika Werner ORCID iD

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