This appendix provides additional details of the survey experiment described in chapter 5. The survey instrument was designed in collaboration with Dr. Devorah Manekin (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) and was deployed to a sample of U.S. respondents organized by Survey Sampling International (SSI), which was contracted for this purpose. An earlier but very similar version of the survey experiment was also deployed to students at Arizona State University. In the interest of space I include only the wording from the version deployed to the larger national sample. Replication materials as well as the images used in the instrument are located on the author’s website (https://
The experiment varied two factors: gender (all male versus mixed) and relations with civilians (cooperative versus abusive). The text for all conditions follows.
INTRODUCTORY TEXT (SEEN BY ALL GROUPS)
Internal conflicts between states and separatist rebel groups are on the rise globally and are increasingly destabilizing to global security. We will describe one rebel group and ask you a number of questions about how you think the U.S. should react to it. For scientific validity some aspects of the story are fictional. We are asking you to imagine how you would feel about these events if they were happening in the real world today. Please read the description carefully, as we will ask you questions about specific details regarding the group.
OPENING TEXT (SEEN BY ALL GROUPS)
For several months, the Kaftarian National Front (KNF), a separatist movement located in South Asia, has been engaged in a violent struggle against the government that has claimed hundreds of lives on both sides. The conflict has rapidly escalated in recent months, and experts believe it has the potential to spill over into neighboring countries, potentially destabilizing the region and creating severe humanitarian costs.
Human rights organizations have expressed serious concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. They accuse the government of committing many serious human rights abuses and using harsh counterinsurgency tactics that violate international humanitarian law, including the execution of civilians suspected of supporting the KNF and the indiscriminate bombing of villages in KNF-held areas.
TEXT FOR TREATMENT AND CONTROL CONDITIONS (RANDOMLY ASSIGNED)
1. All male/cooperative
The KNF, numbering several thousand men, seeks to establish an independent ethnic homeland in which it can practice its cultural and religious traditions without the constant threat of government repression.
International observers have noted that the group generally enjoys positive relations with local civilians: In addition to providing protection for civilians, the KNF has built schools and run healthcare clinics in the areas they control.
In a recent interview for the BBC, Amit, a KNF fighter in his early twenties, asserted that he has dreamed of an independent state since he was child, and he is willing to fight the government, other rebel groups, or anyone else to achieve that dream.
2. Mixed/cooperative
The KNF, numbering several thousand men and women, seeks to establish an independent ethnic homeland in which it can practice its cultural and religious traditions without the constant threat of government repression.
International observers have noted that the group generally enjoys positive relations with local civilians: In addition to providing protection for civilians, the KNF has built schools and run healthcare clinics.
More than a third of KNF fighters are female. In a recent interview for the BBC, Amita, a KNF fighter in her early twenties, asserted that she has dreamed of an independent state since she was child, and she is willing to fight the government, other rebel groups, or anyone else to achieve that dream.
3. All male/abusive
The KNF, numbering several thousand men, seeks to establish an independent ethnic homeland in which it can practice its cultural and religious traditions without the constant threat of government repression.
International observers have expressed concern over increasing reports of abuse against local civilians by the KNF, including looting of private property and forced recruitment of fighters from local populations.
In a recent interview for the BBC, Amit, a KNF fighter in his early twenties, asserted that he has dreamed of an independent state since he was child, and he is willing to fight the government, other rebel groups, or anyone else to achieve that dream.
4. Mixed/abusive
The KNF, numbering several thousand men and women, seeks to establish an independent ethnic homeland in which it can practice its cultural and religious traditions without the constant threat of government repression.
International observers have expressed concern over increasing reports of abuse against local civilians by the KNF, including looting of private property and forced recruitment of fighters from local populations.
More than a third of KNF fighters are female. In a recent interview for the BBC, Amita, a KNF fighter in her early twenties, asserted that she has dreamed of an independent state since she was child, and she is willing to fight the government, other rebel groups, or anyone else to achieve that dream.
DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS FOR SAMPLES
In this section I present descriptive statistics for the samples used in the analyses presented in chapter 5. Tables C.1 and C.2 present basic summary statistics for the student sample and national sample, respectively. As these statistics demonstrate, while neither sample is completely representative of the U.S. population, there is substantial heterogeneity among the respondents within each sample. This is particularly true of the national sample, though it is worth noting that even in this sample the respondents are substantially more educated than the U.S. population as a whole. Tables C.3 and C.4 present the balance statistics for these samples. Overall, these statistics suggest that reasonable balance in the characteristics of the respondents was achieved across the control and treatment conditions.
Table C.1 Student Sample Summary Statistics
|
Variable |
Mean |
Std. Dev. |
Min. |
Max. |
||||
|
Age |
||||||||
|
Under 21 |
0.295 |
0.457 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
21–30 |
0.623 |
0.485 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
31–40 |
0.053 |
0.225 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
41–50 |
0.016 |
0.127 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
51–60 |
0.009 |
0.096 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
61 and over |
0.002 |
0.048 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Female |
0.408 |
0.492 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Race (white) |
0.594 |
0.492 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Liberal |
0.500 |
0.501 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Income |
||||||||
|
< 25,000 |
0.224 |
0.417 |
0 |
0 |
||||
|
25,000–49,999 |
0.191 |
0.394 |
0 |
0 |
||||
|
50,000–74,999 |
0.161 |
0.368 |
0 |
0 |
||||
|
75,000 and above |
0.424 |
0.495 |
0 |
0 |
N=429
Table C.2 National Sample Summary Statistics
|
Variable |
Mean |
Std. Dev. |
Min. |
Max. |
||||
|
Age |
||||||||
|
Under 21 |
0.032 |
0.175 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
21–30 |
0.192 |
0.393 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
31–40 |
0.219 |
0.414 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
41–50 |
0.146 |
0.353 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
51–60 |
0.167 |
0.373 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
61–70 |
0.178 |
0.382 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
71–80 |
0.059 |
0.235 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
81 and over |
0.008 |
0.089 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Female |
0.565 |
0.496 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Race (white) |
0.723 |
0.448 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Education |
||||||||
|
Did not complete high school |
0.014 |
0.119 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
High school / GED |
0.176 |
0.381 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Some college |
0.304 |
0.460 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Bachelor’s degree |
0.283 |
0.450 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Some post-graduate |
0.049 |
0.216 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Graduate degree |
0.175 |
0.379 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Liberal |
0.346 |
0.476 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
Income |
||||||||
|
< 25,000 |
0.168 |
0.374 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
25,000–49,999 |
0.265 |
0.441 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
50,000–74,999 |
0.215 |
0.411 |
0 |
1 |
||||
|
75,000 and above |
0.353 |
0.478 |
0 |
1 |
N=1741
Table C.3 Student Sample Balance Statistics
|
Variable |
Control mean |
Treatment mean |
Difference in means |
|||
|
Age |
1.797 (0.042) |
1.859 (0.055) |
−0.062 |
|||
|
Female |
0.373 (0.033) |
0.443 (0.034) |
−0.070 |
|||
|
Race (white) |
0.608 (0.033) |
0.580 (0.034) |
0.028 |
|||
|
Liberal |
0.493 (0.034) |
0.507 (0.034) |
−0.014 |
|||
|
Income |
2.788 (0.081) |
2.783 (0.085) |
−0.005 |
Table C.4 National Sample Balance Statistics
|
Variable |
Treatment mean |
Control mean |
Difference in means |
|||
|
Age |
4.057 (0.056) |
4.008 (0.057) |
0.049 |
|||
|
Female |
0.549 (0.169) |
0.579 (0.167) |
−0.031 |
|||
|
Race (white) |
0.728 (0.015) |
0.492 (0.015) |
0.010 |
|||
|
Education |
3.764 (0.046) |
3.633 (0.045) |
0.131 |
|||
|
Liberal |
0.351 (0.016) |
0.341 (0.016) |
0.010 |
|||
|
Income |
3.764 (0.046) |
3.633 (0.045) |
0.131 |