Priming Effects During the Financial Crisis : Accessibility and applicability mechanisms behind government approval

• This study investigates priming effects during the global financial crisis that erupted in September 2008. Using two longitudinal data sources on public opinion dynamics in Sweden between 2007 and 2010, we find no evidence of a basic priming hypothesis. Despite a substantial increase in negative media coverage of the economy and a clear growth in public concern, citizens did not attach greater weight to economic considerations in their government approval assessments following the outbreak of the economic crisis. Drawing upon the distinction between accessibility and applicability mechanisms, however, additional analysis shows that priming of economic considerations was moderated by citizens' attributions of responsibility for current economic developments. Citizens who primarily considered the ups and downs of the Swedish economy as being a result of the financial crisis were substantially less inclined to let their economic perceptions influence government approval than those who viewed economic developments as caused by government action. These results support the notion of priming as a two-step process, whereby heavy news coverage of the financial crisis increases the accessibility of economic considerations among the audience, but whether these considerations are used in government approval assessments depends on their perceived applicability as well.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Media and Communications (hsv//eng)

Keyword

priming effects

accessibility

applicability

financial crisis

survey.

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)