SGER: Public Response to a National Tragedy

National Opinion Research Center, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

The Small Grant for Exploratory Research will support a national random digit dial telephone survey of public reaction to the terrorists attacks on September 11, 2001. The survey will examine the impact of the events from sociological and psychological perspectives, including behavioral, affective, and cognitive aspects. It will consider responses at both the individual and collective levels. Survey items will focus on four major areas: (1) interpersonal communication, (2) personal and communal responses, (3) psychological and psycho-physiological responses, and (4) basic beliefs and values. In selecting questions for the survey the investigators will draw significantly from the 1963 Presidential Assignation Study and from the NSF-supported General Social Survey. By using existing questions, the PIs will be able to compare responses to those that occurred during both another period of national tragedy and to those that occur during more normal times. Oversampling will also be done in the New York City area will allow comparisons of responses of people near ground zero who likely to have viewed some of the events directly and to have personal ties to areas and people directly involved with others who were more remote. On a general theoretical level, the investigators will test existing hypotheses about how social support and interpersonal networks, socio-economic status, and religious beliefs affect how people cope with tragedy.