The Process of Public Opinion: Understanding Psychological, Social, and Political Filters.

This article presents a study which examines the factors associated with the process of public opinion. The study found that, by examining the psychological filter, an individual's previously held attitudes were the best predictor of issue favorability. The study also revealed that attention to media coverage was positively related to strength of opinion, so that the more attention respondents paid to the issue in the media, the stronger they felt about their opinion.