Policy vs. Perception: Why We Don't Always Believe What We Experience
Publication Date
2026
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Department
Political Science, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
Public policies such as taxes, benefits, and regulations are a constant factor in citizens' daily lives, yet people will walk away from the same policy experience with completely different interpretations. This research explores and questions the question: Why do some citizens update their political beliefs after policy feedback while others do not?
By examining case studies and sources, there have been many factors, such as interpretive clarity, motivational congruence, and social reinforcement, that are found to have influenced why each person can take away a different interpretation from the same policy experience.
Recommended Citation
Oberbreckling, Emma, "Policy vs. Perception: Why We Don't Always Believe What We Experience" (2026). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 768.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/768
