Public opinion measurement

Abstract

Reviews the book, Public opinion measurement by Laszlo Radvanyi (1945). Questionnaires were mailed to people with a known interest in public opinion research, most of whom were social scientists and journalists. The twelve questions covered various aspects of the scientific status of public opinion polls, their role in a democratic society, problems of maintaining their integrity, a few technical considerations, and the international cooperation of institutes of public opinion. Although the survey was international in scope, this particular report is confined to the answers received from respondents in the United States. To the reviewer, many of the questions appear ambiguous and subject to various interpretations. In fairness to this survey, however, it must be admitted that the problems are so involved that the phrasing of questions is necessarily difficult and perhaps the questions are as good as could be expected under the circumstances. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)