Authors

• Kim Strandberg (Åbo Akademi University)
• Aleksi Suuronen (Åbo Akademi University)
• Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)

Keywords

attitudes, political attitudes, political parties, politics, social and political polarization, social behaviour, social media

Abstract

The study examined how Finnish individuals relate to or identify with political and other societal content, as well as their interactions with people who hold similar or opposing views on these topics. Additionally, the survey asked respondents for their opinions on the placement of Finnish political parties along the left-right and liberal-conservative dimensions. The data was collected as part of the Public Opinion Panel, which is part of The Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO).

The questionnaire began by asking how common it is for respondents to agree or disagree on political and other societal topics. Next, respondents were asked in which channels they encounter these topics. The survey then explored whether respondents identify with other people's opinions on political and societal issues. Furthermore, it asked how common it is for respondents to discuss these topics with people who agree or disagree with them, whether these individuals are familiar or unfamiliar to them, and how the respondents perceive these conversations. Respondents' experiences of these discussions were examined by asking, for example, whether the conversations tend to become passionate, constructive debates, or hostile situations.

The background variables in the dataset include gender, categorized age, and region.