The measurement, structure, and cross-cultural equivalence of political party perception. Evidence from Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine

Oleg Gorbaniuk

The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

Michał Wilczewski

University of Warsaw

Ana Ivanova

Airfinity Ltd

Halyna Bevz

National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine

Julia Gorbaniuk




Abstract

This paper examines the cross-cultural universality of the structural model of (voter) perception of political parties (PPP) in three ex-communist countries with party-centered systems, but with different economic and cultural backgrounds, and different levels of democracy development. We conducted a confirmatory study of a five-dimensional structure of PPP, which had been established through lexical research, using data from voters in Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. The structure involved personality-related dimensions (Strength, Disagreeableness, and Integrity) and non-personality dimensions, such as worldview (Left Wing vs. Right Wing) and evaluation (Backwardness vs. Modernity). The study revealed the configural and metric invariance of the structure of PPP. Its dimensions explain political preferences in each country at the individual level, but also differentiate between PPPs at the between-country level, both in the group of supporters and opponents of political parties. We linked voter perceptions with political preferences by presenting a five-factor model of PPP established on a valid and reliable psychometric inventory.


Keywords:

political party; image; ideology; voting decision; political preferences; lexical research; cross-cultural invariance


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Published
2021-09-24

Cited by

Gorbaniuk, O., Wilczewski, M., Ivanova, A., Bevz, H., & Gorbaniuk, J. (2021). The measurement, structure, and cross-cultural equivalence of political party perception. Evidence from Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Przegląd Wschodnioeuropejski, 12(1), 209–224. https://doi.org/10.31648/pw.6471

Oleg Gorbaniuk 
The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
Michał Wilczewski 
University of Warsaw
Ana Ivanova 
Airfinity Ltd
Halyna Bevz 
National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine
Julia Gorbaniuk