SociologyPolitical SciencePsychologyUS

Angus Campbell

1910 - 1980 · Leiters Ford, Indiana, U.S.

Angus Campbell was an American social psychologist and a prominent figure in the study of electoral systems and political behavior. He was a professor at the University of Michigan and a key researcher at its Survey Research Center, which he directed from 1948 to 1970. His work significantly influenced the understanding of how citizens perceive their ability to impact the political process, a concept he helped introduce as political efficacy.

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Angus Campbell
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File:Angus Campbell - psychologist - University of Michigan, 1948.jpg

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Life & work

Overview

Angus Campbell was an American social psychologist and a prominent figure in the study of electoral systems and political behavior. He was a professor at the University of Michigan and a key researcher at its Survey Research Center, which he directed from 1948 to 1970. His work significantly influenced the understanding of how citizens perceive their ability to impact the political process, a concept he helped introduce as political efficacy.

Key milestones

Timeline

1910

Born

Born in Leiters, Indiana.

1931

Bachelor's Degree

Received his B.A. from the University of Oregon.

1932

Master's Degree

Received his M.A. from the University of Oregon.

1936

Doctorate Degree

Completed his Ph.D. at Stanford University.

1946

Co-founded Survey Research Center

Co-founded the Survey Research Center (SRC) at the University of Michigan.

1948

Director of Survey Research Center

Began serving as Director of the Survey Research Center.

1954

Published 'The Voter Decides'

Co-authored 'The Voter Decides', a book that introduced the concept of political efficacy.

1960

Published 'The American Voter'

Co-authored 'The American Voter', a seminal work in political science.

1970

Director of Institute for Social Research

Became Director of the Institute for Social Research (ISR).

1976

Published 'The Quality of American Life'

Co-authored 'The Quality of American Life: Perceptions, Evaluations, and Satisfactions'.

1980

Died

Died in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

1981

Published 'The Sense of Well-Being in America'

His book 'The Sense of Well-Being in America: Recent Patterns and Trends' was published posthumously.

Signature work

Discovery Story

Original Form

Angus Campbell, along with Gerald Gurin and Warren E. Miller, introduced the concept of political efficacy and its measurement through survey questions in their 1954 work 'The Voter Decides'. The Political Efficacy Score (Average) equation (E = T/N) represents the fundamental method used to quantify this concept based on survey responses.

Key contributions

Achievements

1

Co-authored 'The Voter Decides' (1954), which introduced the concept of political efficacy.

2

Co-authored 'The American Voter' (1960), a seminal work in political science.

3

Contributed significantly to the development of survey research methods for studying political attitudes, co-founding the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan and directing it from 1948 to 1970.

Notation used

Symbols & Variables

Dot Product / Multiplication Dot

Geographic context

Birthplace

Leiters Ford, Indiana, U.S.

Citation

Reference

University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library, 'Angus Campbell Papers, 1949-1980'

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Angus Campbell was an American social psychologist and a prominent figure in the study of electoral systems and political behavior. He was a professor at the University of Michigan and a key researcher at its Survey Research Center, which he directed from 1948 to 1970. His work significantly influenced the understanding of how citizens perceive their ability to impact the political process, a concept he helped introduce as political efficacy.

Angus Campbell lived 1910 - 1980.

Angus Campbell is associated with Sociology, Political Science, Psychology, Data.

Angus Campbell is most strongly associated with the Political Efficacy Score (Average).

Angus Campbell, along with Gerald Gurin and Warren E. Miller, introduced the concept of political efficacy and its measurement through survey questions in their 1954 work 'The Voter Decides'. The Political Efficacy Score (Average) equation (E = T/N) represents the fundamental method used to quantify this concept based on survey responses.

Co-authored 'The Voter Decides' (1954), which introduced the concept of political efficacy. Co-authored 'The American Voter' (1960), a seminal work in political science. Contributed significantly to the development of survey research methods for studying political attitudes, co-founding the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan and directing it from 1948 to 1970.

Angus Campbell was born in Leiters Ford, Indiana, U.S..

Angus Campbell was associated with country code US.