The roles of value predispositions, communication, and third person perception on public support for censorship of films with homosexual content

Abstract

This study aims to examine the roles of value predispositions, communication, and third person perception on public support for censorship of films with homosexual content in Singapore. Findings from a nationally representative telephone survey of adults showed that the majority of Singaporeans supported stricter censorship of films with homosexual characters. Conformity to norms, intrinsic religiosity, and Asian orientation were positively associated with public support for censorship. Media exposure and perceived negative media effects on self were negatively associated with public support for censorship. Our results supported the perceptual component but not the behavioral component of the third person effect.

Keywords:

• homosexuality
• survey
• Singapore

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a research grant [grant number: M58060009] from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University.

Notes

1. We generated a total of 12,004 random numbers, with disqualified numbers consisted of 6825 fax/disconnected/business/non-Singapore resident numbers; 2685 unanswered/busy numbers; 214 numbers with language issues; and 23 unattempted numbers. There were 2257 eligible contacts, in which 1074 refused, 124 did not complete the interview, and 72 asked to be interviewed at a later date (but the stipulated date was after the interviewing period ended). Out of the 987 completed interviews, data for 28 interviews were lost due to technical glitches. Outcome rates based on AAPOR guideline were: response rate 3=.37; cooperation rate 3=.45; and refusal rate 3=.43. We calculated the ‘e’ value based on ‘Completes/Total sample size.’

2. Out of the 35 cases deleted upon data cleaning, 15 interviewees responded with ‘don't know’ or ‘refused to answer’ for more than 25% of the items, 18 cases had logical inconsistencies, and the remaining 2 interviewees provided similar responses on most questions. The percentage of missing values in each item was less than 10%.

3. Singapore citizens and permanent residents consist of 51.0% females, with median age ;= ;36.9 years and median monthly household income ;= ;S$5,398. The racial composition is 75.7% Chinese, 12.5% Malays, and 8.7% Indians (Singapore Department of Statistics, 2009). Singles comprise of 30.4% of the resident population, while 61.9% are married; 27.3% has no formal education or only primary school qualification, 43.1% has lower secondary, secondary, or upper secondary school qualification, and 30.0% has diploma or degree qualification (Singapore Department of Statistics, 2005). The Singapore resident population is made up of 42.5% Buddhists, 8.5% Taoists, 14.6% Christians, 14.9% Muslims, 4.0% Hindus, and 14.8% freethinkers or hold no religious beliefs (Singapore Department of Statistics, 2000).