THE IMPACT OF CIVIL DEFENSE INFORMATION 1: AN EXAMINATION OF INFORMATION LEVELS
Abstract
The purpose is to study the impact of Civil Defense information in terms of information levels of information about CD, cold war, effect of nuclear weapons, and arms control and disarmament efforts. Subjective levels of information on these four issues, based on a national block sample's self- imputed information, are compared with objective levels of information determined by other researchers, and these two measures of information levels are found to be compatible. While there is no way of knowing whether information people think they have is accurate, those who tend to feel they are informed about CD are women as well as men, Negroes as well as non-Negroes, those at all but the lowest level of education, those at all levels of income. The most important personal factors are related to respondent's age. Those who have high subjective CD information display a greater optimism about the future and are less inclined to want World War III or a Communist surrender because of U. S. technological supremacy; they favor all shelter programs and tend to feel that the present warning system is very good. The findings imply that: (1) there is little need to try to convince the American people that CD measures are desirable or warranted; (2) CD messages can afford complete frankness in depicting to the nation both the promise and the limitations of protective measures.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0638969
Entities
People
- Dorothy B. Rosenberg
Organizations
- University of Pittsburgh