The Independent and Interactive Antecedents of International Knowledge

Abstract

In light of low levels of international knowledge among the American public, the current study examines the roles that news attention, education, interpersonal discussion and international involvement play in the development of international knowledge. Predictor patterns for an American sample are quite similar for close- and open-ended knowledge measures. News attention, education and interpersonal discussion play positive roles. In terms of the interactive roles of these information inputs, interpersonal discussion news attention and international involvement interpersonal discussion narrow gaps in knowledge. Finally, there was one significant three-way interaction - that of education news attention interpersonal discussion.