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 LublinMichał Wilczewski
University of WarsawAna Ivanova
Airfinity LtdHalyna Bevz
National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of UkraineJulia 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 invarianceReferences
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The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
University of Warsaw
Airfinity Ltd
National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine
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