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Published: August 14, 2012

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Questionable and open research practices: Attitudes and perceptions among quantitative communication researchers

Published in Journal of Communication, 2021

Abstract: Recent contributions have questioned the credibility of quantitative communication research. While questionable research practices (QRPs) are believed to be widespread, evidence for this belief is, primarily, derived from other disciplines. Therefore, it is largely unknown to what extent QRPs are used in quantitative communication research and whether researchers embrace open research practices (ORPs). We surveyed first and corresponding authors of publications in the top-20 journals in communication science. Many researchers report using one or more QRPs. We find widespread pluralistic ignorance: QRPs are generally rejected, but researchers believe they are prevalent. At the same time, we find optimism about the use of open science practices. In all, our study has implications for theories in communication that rely upon a cumulative body of empirical work: these theories are negatively affected by QRPs but can gain credibility if based upon ORPs. We outline an agenda to move forward as a discipline.

Recommended citation: Bakker, B. N., Jaidka, K., Dörr, T., Fasching, N., & Lelkes, Y. (2021). "Questionable and open research practices: Attitudes and perceptions among quantitative communication researchers." Journal of Communication. doi: 10.1093/joc/jqab031.
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Automated annotation with generative AI requires validation

Published in arXiv, 2023

Abstract: Generative large language models (LLMs) can be a powerful tool for augmenting text annotation procedures, but their performance varies across annotation tasks due to prompt quality, text data idiosyncrasies, and conceptual difficulty. Because these challenges will persist even as LLM technology improves, we argue that any automated annotation process using an LLM must validate the LLM’s performance against labels generated by humans. To this end, we outline a workflow to harness the annotation potential of LLMs in a principled, efficient way. Using GPT-4, we validate this approach by replicating 27 annotation tasks across 11 datasets from recent social science articles in high-impact journals. We find that LLM performance for text annotation is promising but highly contingent on both the dataset and the type of annotation task, which reinforces the necessity to validate on a task-by-task basis. We make available easy-to-use software designed to implement our workflow and streamline the deployment of LLMs for automated annotation.

Recommended citation: Pangakis, N., Wolken, S., & Fasching, N. (2023). "Automated annotation with generative AI requires validation." arXiv. arXiv:2306.00176.
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Ancestral Kinship and the Origins of Ideology

Published in British Journal of Political Science, 2023

Abstract: Families are not only the first institution ever created, they are also, for most people, the first institution ever encountered. The preindustrial family structure, which was a function of local ecology and cooperation needs, instilled family members with different values, such as trust in strangers and respect for elders. These values passed through generations and, as we show in three studies, impact today’s political attitudes and policies. First, using surveys of second-generation immigrants representing roughly 180 ethnicities living in 32 European countries, we show that the tighter kinship structure of a person’s ancestors predicts right-wing cultural attitudes. Among those who are less engaged in politics, tighter ancestral kinship structure also predicts left-wing economic attitudes. In a second study, we control for country-level differences by comparing ethnic groups within countries and find that ancestral kinship strength predicts right-wing cultural attitudes but not left-wing economic attitudes. Finally, in a third study, we examine the policy implications of ancestral kinship. We show that stronger country-level ancestral kinship strength also increases anti-LGBT policies and welfare spending. Finally, we examine whether value systems link preindustrial kinship with modern political attitudes. In total, this work indicates that our political beliefs are rooted in the value systems and familial institutions created by our forebears.

Recommended citation: Fasching, N. & Lelkes, Y. (2023). "Ancestral Kinship and the Origins of Ideology." British Journal of Political Science. doi:10.1017/S0007123422000709.
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Establishing the validity and robustness of facial electromyography measures for political science

Published in Politics and the Life Sciences, 2024

Abstract: Opinion formation and information processing are affected by unconscious affective responses to stimuli—particularly in politics. Yet we still know relatively little about such affective responses and how to measure them. In this study, we focus on emotional valence and examine facial electromyography (fEMG) measures. We demonstrate the validity of these measures, discuss ways to make measurement and analysis more robust, and consider validity trade-offs in experimental design. In doing so, we hope to support scholars in designing studies that will advance scholarship on political attitudes and behavior by incorporating unconscious affective responses to political stimuli—responses that have too often been neglected by political scientists.

Recommended citation: Schumacher, G., Homan, M. D., Rebasso, I., Fasching, N., Bakker, B. N., & Rooduijn, M. (2024). "Establishing the validity and robustness of facial electromyography measures for political science." Politics and the Life Sciences. 43(2), 198–215. doi:10.1017/pls.2023.26
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Inconsistent and very weak evidence for a direct association between childhood personality and adult ideology

Published in Journal of Personality, 2024

Abstract: Objective: We add depth and breadth to the study of the childhood personality–adult ideology link with additional data, measures, and measurement approaches.Background: Past research in (political) psychology has put forward that individual differences in psychological needs shape ideology. Most evidence supporting this claim is cross-sectional. Two previous longitudinal studies showed preliminary evidence that childhood personality traits linked to negativity bias correlate with political ideology in adulthood, yet these studies have limitations.Methods: We report the results from two longitudinal studies (combined N = 13,822) conducted in the United Kingdom that measure childhood personality (5–11 years old) and political ideology from puberty (age 16) to early (age 26) and middle adulthood (age 42). Results: We find very weak and inconsistent evidence that childhood personality traits related to negativity bias are directly associated with general conservatism,social conservatism, or economic conservatism across different stages of adulthood. Across the board, Bayes Factors most often indicate strong evidence for the null hypothesis. Conclusion: We offer evidence that the results of previous research are not as robust or as consistent as scholars in the extant literature presume. Our findings call for more, not less, research on the link between childhood personality and political ideology.

Recommended citation: Fasching, N., Arceneaux, K., & Bakker, B. N. (2024). "Inconsistent and very weak evidence for a direct association between childhood personality and adult ideology." Journal of Personality. doi:10.1111/jopy.12874.
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A critical evaluation and research agenda for the study of psychological dispositions and political attitudes

Published in Political Psychology, 2024

Abstract: Political psychologists often examine the influence of psychological dispositions on political attitudes. Central to this field is the ideological asymmetry hypothesis (IAH), which asserts significant psychological differences be- tween conservatives and liberals. According to the IAH, conservatives tend to exhibit greater resistance to change, a stronger inclination to uphold existing social systems, and heightened sensitivity to threats and uncertainty compared with their liberal counterparts. Our review and reanalysis, however, question the empirical strength of the IAH. We expose major concerns regarding the construct validity of the psychological dispositions and political attitudes traditionally measured. Furthermore, our re- search reveals that the internal validity of these studies is often compromised by endogeneity and selection biases. External and statistical validity issues are also evident, with many findings relying on small effect sizes derived from nonrepresentative student populations. Collectively, these data offer scant support for the IAH, indicating that simply amassing similar data is unlikely to clarify the validity of the hypothesis. We suggest a more intricate causal model that addresses the intricate dynamics between psychological dispositions and political attitudes. This model considers the bidirectional nature of these relationships and the moderating roles of individual and situational variables. In conclusion, we call for developing more sophisticated theories and rigorous research methodologies to enhance our comprehension of the psychological underpinnings of political ideology.

Recommended citation: Arceneaux, K., Bakker, B. N., Fasching, N., & Lelkes, Y. (2024). "A critical evaluation and research agenda for the study of psychological dispositions and political attitudes." Political Psychology. doi:10.1111/pops.12958.
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Persistent polarization: The unexpected durability of political animosity around US elections

Published in Science Advances, 2024

Abstract: The scholarly literature suggests that, as elections approach, political tensions intensify, and, as they pass, tensions return to pre-election levels. Using a massive new dataset of 66,000 interviews (cross-sectional and panel), we find that animosities are durable and consistent over the course of the 2022 US election. Individuals with more exposure to the campaign tend to be more polarized, and this sentiment endures post-election. Contrary to expectations, partisans who voted for the winning candidate are no less polarized post-election than those on the losing side. In closing, we note that the durability of polarization has important implications not only for our understanding of the scope of partisan divides but also for efforts designed to ameliorate polarization.

Recommended citation: Fasching, N., Iyengar, S., Lelkes, Y., & Westwood, S. J. (2024). "Persistent polarization: The unexpected durability of political animosity around US elections." Science Advances. 10(36), eadm9198.
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Model-Dependent Moderation: Inconsistencies in Hate Speech Detection Across LLM-based Systems

Published in Association for Computational Linguistics, 2025

Abstract: Content moderation systems powered by large language models (LLMs) are increasingly deployed to detect hate speech; however, no systematic comparison exists between different systems. If different systems produce different outcomes for the same content, it undermines consistency and predictability, leading to moderation decisions that appear arbitrary or unfair. Analyzing seven leading models—dedicated Moderation Endpoints (OpenAI, Mistral), frontier LLMs (Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, Mistral Large, DeepSeek V3), and specialized content moderation APIs (Google Perspective API)—we demonstrate that moderation system choice fundamentally determines hate speech classification outcomes. Using a novel synthetic dataset of 1.3+ million sentences from a factorial design, we find identical content receives markedly different classification values across systems, with variations especially pronounced for specific demographic groups. Analysis across 125 distinct groups reveals these divergences reflect systematic differences in how models establish decision boundaries around harmful content, highlighting significant implications for automated content moderation.

Recommended citation: Fasching, N. & Lelkes, Y. (2025). "Model-Dependent Moderation: Inconsistencies in Hate Speech Detection Across LLM-based Systems." Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics. pages 22271–22285.
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Neil Fasching

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