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Política y gobierno
versão impressa ISSN 1665-2037
Polít. gob vol.14 no.1 Ciudad de México Jan./Jun. 2007
Notas de investigación
La aplicación de los métodos experimentales en el estudio de los atajos informativos en México
Applying Experimental Methods to the Study of Information Shortcuts in Mexico
* Profesora asistente en la Claremont Graduate University, Department of Politics & Policy, 160 East Tenth Street, Claremont, CA91771-6163, Estados Unidos de América. Correo electrónico: jennifer.merolla@cgu.edu.
** Profesora asistente en la University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5C2. Correo electrónico: lstephe8@uwo.ca.
*** Profesora asistente en la University of California, Davis, Department of Political Science, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA95616, Estados Unidos de América. Correo electrónico: ejzech @ucdavis.edu.
Los politólogos utilizan cada vez más experimentos para estudiar temas importantes. En gran parte, porque esta metodología permite que el investigador tenga más control para especificar y probar relaciones causales. La aplicación de métodos experimentales para responder a preguntas de opiniones y comportamiento político todavía es muy limitada fuera del campo de la política estadounidense y, en particular, dentro del campo de la política mexicana. En esta nota, se presenta un panorama general de las fortalezas y debilidades de la investigación experimental para el estudio del comportamiento político. Después, se presenta un estudio experimental llevado a cabo en el verano de 2004, con estudiantes universitarios como sujetos de investigación para ilustrar los beneficios del método para averiguar un tema de investigación en particular dentro de la política mexicana: la utilidad de las etiquetas partidistas como atajos heurísticos para la formación y expresión de la opinión. Se encontraron pruebas de que las etiquetas partidistas, en particular la del PRI, tienen influencia en las preferencias de política pública de los individuos y, además, que estos efectos son más pronunciados en temas más difíciles. Se encontraron pruebas limitadas de que la identificación partidaria condiciona la utilidad de los estímulos. Esperamos que nuestro estudio y la discusión demuestren convincentemente que los métodos experimentales son apropiados y útiles para el estudio del comportamiento político en México.
Palabras clave: atajos heurísticos; etiquetas partidistas; experimentos
Political scientists are increasingly using experiments to study important topics, in large part because this methodology allows the researcher more control in specifying relationships and testing causation. The application of experimental methods to questions of political opinions and behavior is still somewhat limited outside the realm of U.S. politics, and in particular within the realm of Mexican politics. In this note, we first present an overview of the strengths, and weaknesses, of experimental research for the study of political behavior. We then present an experimental study conducted in the summer of 2004, using college students as research subjects, to illustrate the benefits of the method for investigating one particular research topic within Mexican politics: the utility of party labels as heuristic aids for opinion formation and expression. We find evidence that party labels, in particular the PRI, influence individuals’ policy preferences and, further, that these effects are more pronounced for more difficult issues. We find only limited evidence that party identification conditions the usefulness of the cues. We hope that our study and discussion convincingly demonstrate that experimental methods are appropriate and useful for the study of Mexican political behavior.
Key words: heuristic aids; party labels; experiments
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Recibido: Noviembre de 2005; Aprobado: Septiembre de 2006
Este es un artículo publicado en acceso abierto bajo una licencia Creative Commons
