The influentials: Back to the concept of opinion leaders?

Gabriel Weimann

doi:10.1086/269257

The influentials: Back to the concept of opinion leaders?

Gabriel Weimann

Department of Communication

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The concept of opinion leadership has been related to a lingering theoretical and methodological debate. The present study examines a new measure to identify opinion leaders (the Strength of Personality Scale) developed by the Allensbach Survey Center in Germany. The results of applying this measure in Germany and Israel allowed the testing of its validity and efficiency. The findings, however, do not suggest that the influentials identified by this scale are opinion leaders according to the original conceptualization, but fit better the more sophisticated characterization of opinion leadership that stemmed from modifications of the original concept of opinion leaders.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	267-279
Number of pages	13
Journal	Public Opinion Quarterly
Volume	55
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/269257
State	Published - Jun 1991

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
GABRIEL WEIMANN is Associate Professor of Communication and Chairman of the Department of Sociology at the University of Haifa, Israel. The author gratefully acknowledges the important contributions of Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, Hans Eysenck, Hans-Bernd Brosius, and Robert Eisinger. The research was supported by the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, Bonn, Germany.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Communication
History
Sociology and Political Science
General Social Sciences
History and Philosophy of Science

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10.1086/269257

Cite this

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title = "The influentials: Back to the concept of opinion leaders?",

abstract = "The concept of opinion leadership has been related to a lingering theoretical and methodological debate. The present study examines a new measure to identify opinion leaders (the Strength of Personality Scale) developed by the Allensbach Survey Center in Germany. The results of applying this measure in Germany and Israel allowed the testing of its validity and efficiency. The findings, however, do not suggest that the influentials identified by this scale are opinion leaders according to the original conceptualization, but fit better the more sophisticated characterization of opinion leadership that stemmed from modifications of the original concept of opinion leaders.",

author = "Gabriel Weimann",

note = "Funding Information: GABRIEL WEIMANN is Associate Professor of Communication and Chairman of the Department of Sociology at the University of Haifa, Israel. The author gratefully acknowledges the important contributions of Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, Hans Eysenck, Hans-Bernd Brosius, and Robert Eisinger. The research was supported by the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, Bonn, Germany.",

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The influentials: Back to the concept of opinion leaders?

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Personlichkeitsstarke und die Meinungsfuhrer-Konzept?

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The influentials: Back to the concept of opinion leaders?

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Related research output

Personlichkeitsstarke und die Meinungsfuhrer-Konzept?

Cite this