How Stable Are Anti-American Attitudes Over Time? A Test-Retest Study in Germany Including Twelve Statements to Measure Aversion Against America and Americans. Issue 3 (3rd July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liebe, Ulf; Beyer, Heiko
• Is Part Of: International journal of sociology. Volume 48:Issue 3(2018)
• Page Start: 216
• Page End: 230
• Publication Date: 2018-07-03
• Subjects: Anti-Americanism -- transatlantic relations -- prejudice -- attitudes -- temporal stability -- test-retest reliability; Sociology -- Periodicals; Sociology -- Periodicals; Sociologie -- Périodiques; Sociology; Periodicals; 301.05
• DOI: 10.1080/00207659.2018.1482999
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7659

Abstract

Abstract : Presenting a comprehensive measurement instrument of 12 statements expressing resentments toward Americans and America, this study shows that anti-Americanism can be conceptualized as a robust and stable attitude transcending everyday politics. In a test-retest design applied in Germany in 2011 and 2012, we found a fair to moderate temporal stability of anti-American attitudes. Furthermore, we tested for consistency of potential correlates of anti-Americanism—anomia, globalization critique, and capitalism critique—and gained slightly different estimates when comparing multiple regression models of both years. Yet, further analysis suggests that those differences are not due to changes in anti-American attitudes but to the temporal instability of their correlates. Taken together, our study indicates that simple measurement instruments of anti-Americanism, as used in many previous studies, might be more prone to "everyday politics measurement errors" than multi-item measurements.