Japanese Crisis Triggers Some Anxieties Among Minorities of Americans
NEW YORK, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has sent modest ripples of anxiety through the United States. Thirteen percent of all adults are “very concerned” that dangerous levels of radiation will reach this country, and a further 35% are somewhat concerned. Fifteen percent of adults are very concerned that events in Japan will damage the U.S. economy.
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These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,483 adults surveyed online between April 8 and 12, 2011 by Harris Interactive.
Other interesting results include:
- More women (17%) than men (9%) are very concerned about dangerous radiation reaching the U.S. or are very or somewhat concerned (55% vs. 40%);
- More than one third of the public would advise a friend planning a trip to Japan to cancel it (38%) and almost half (47%) would tell them to postpone it. Only 14% would advise their friend to go ahead with the trip as planned;
- While only 15% are very concerned that the crisis in Japan will cause a damaging economic slump here in the United States, fully 67% are very or somewhat concerned;
- Many people would be somewhat (10%) or much (30%) less likely to buy raw fish such as sushi or sashimi if it came from Japan however only 10% of all adults would be less likely to eat in Japanese restaurants; and,
- A 45% plurality believe that if a huge earthquake occurred in the United States the public would behave worse here than the Japanese have behaved; only 12% believe Americans would behave better than the Japanese have.
So What?
These results suggest that most Americans have been watching events in Japan and are somewhat (but not very) concerned that they may be affected. The 45% to 12% plurality who think that Americans would not behave as well as have the Japanese in the event of a huge earthquake reflects the respect that many people feel for how the Japanese people (but not necessarily their government or power company) have behaved since their devastating earthquake and the Tsunami.
TABLE 1
CONCERN ABOUT RADIATION FROM JAPAN REACHING THE UNITED STATES
"How concerned are you, if at all, about dangerous levels of
radiation as a result of Japan's nuclear crisis reaching the United
States?"
Base: All adults
Total Gender Education
H.S. or Some College
Male Female less college grad+
% % % % % %
Concerned (NET) 48 40 55 51 50 42
Very concerned 13 9 17 15 14 9
Somewhat
concerned 35 31 39 35 36 33
Not concerned
(NET) 52 60 45 49 50 58
Not very
concerned 33 33 33 35 31 32
---------- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Not at all
concerned 19 26 12 15 19 26
---------- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 2
ADVICE FOR PEOPLE PLANNING A TRIP TO JAPAN
"If you had a friend who was planning a trip to Japan would you
advise them to...?"
Base: All adults
Total Gender Education
H.S. or Some College
Male Female less college grad+
% % % % % %
Postpone it 47 47 48 44 47 51
Cancel it 38 33 43 46 38 28
--------- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Go ahead with it 14 20 9 10 15 21
---------------- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 3
ADVICE FOR PEOPLE PLANNING A TRIP TO ASIA
"If you had a friend who was planning a trip to Asia but not
specifically to Japan, would you advise them to...?"
Base: All adults
Total Gender Education
H.S. or Some College
Male Female less college grad+
% % % % % %
Go ahead with it 45 57 33 33 48 60
Postpone it 36 29 43 44 35 26
----------- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Cancel it 19 14 24 24 18 14
--------- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 4
CONCERN ABOUT RECENT EVENTS IN JAPAN CAUSING AN ECONOMIC SLUMP IN THE
UNITED STATES
"How concerned are you, if at all, that what's happened recently in
Japan will cause a damaging economic slump in the United States?"
Base: All adults
Total Age
18-34 35-44 45-54 55+
% % % % %
Concerned
(NET) 67 62 63 69 72
Very
concerned 15 12 18 21 14
Somewhat
concerned 52 50 45 49 59
Not
concerned
(NET) 33 38 37 31 28
Not very
concerned 27 30 28 28 24
Not at all
concerned 6 8 9 3 4
Gender
Male Female
% %
Concerned
(NET) 64 70
Very
concerned 13 18
Somewhat
concerned 51 52
Not
concerned
(NET) 36 30
Not very
concerned 28 26
Not at all
concerned 8 3
Education
H.S.
or Some College
less college grad+
% % %
Concerned
(NET) 70 67 62
Very
concerned 18 15 11
Somewhat
concerned 52 52 51
Not
concerned
(NET) 30 33 38
Not very
concerned 25 27 31
Not at all
concerned 5 6 7
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 5
CHANGE IN LIKELIHOOD OF PURCHASING VARIOUS ITEMS FROM JAPAN
"As a result of what's happened recently in Japan, are you more or
less likely to purchase each of the following from Japan?"
Base: All adults
More Much Somewhat Less
likely more more likely
(NET) likely likely (NET)
Fish for raw
consumption
(e.g. sushi,
sashimi) % 4 2 2 40
Electronics
(e.g.
computers,
digital
cameras) % 7 4 4 16
Cars % 6 3 3 14
NA - I do
not
Somewhat Much purchase
less less No these
likely likely change items
Fish for raw
consumption
(e.g. sushi,
sashimi) % 10 30 17 39
Electronics
(e.g.
computers,
digital
cameras) % 9 7 71 6
Cars % 7 7 58 22
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 6
CHANGE IN LIKELIHOOD OF EATING IN JAPANESE RESTAURANTS
"Again, as a result of what's happened recently in Japan, are you now
more or less likely to eat at a Japanese restaurant?"
Base: All adults
Total Age
18-34 35-44
% % %
More likely
(NET) 4 8 5
Much more
likely 2 4 2
Somewhat
more
likely 3 5 4
Less likely
(NET) 10 7 10
Somewhat
less
likely 5 5 4
Much less
likely 5 2 5
No change 53 55 56
NA - I do
not eat in
Japanese
restaurants 33 29 29
Age Gender
45-54 55+ Male Female
% % % %
More likely
(NET) 2 1 7 2
Much more
likely 1 * 3 1
Somewhat
more
likely 1 1 4 2
Less likely
(NET) 11 11 10 9
Somewhat
less
likely 4 5 6 4
Much less
likely 6 6 5 5
No change 49 53 58 48
NA - I do
not eat in
Japanese
restaurants 38 35 25 41
Education
H.S. or Some College
less college grad+
% % %
More likely
(NET) 4 4 6
Much more
likely 1 2 3
Somewhat
more
likely 3 3 3
Less likely
(NET) 10 10 9
Somewhat
less
likely 4 5 6
Much less
likely 6 5 3
No change 14 54 67
NA - I do
not eat in
Japanese
restaurants 43 32 19
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 7A
HOW WOULD GROUPS IN THE U.S. HANDLE A CRISIS COMPARED TO JAPAN
"If we had a huge earthquake in the United States do you think that
the following groups would handle the crisis better or worse than
Japan did?"
Base: All adults
No Not at
Better Worse difference all sure
The electric
power
companies % 24 23 28 25
The
government % 21 30 27 22
----------- --- --- --- --- ---
The public % 12 45 24 18
---------- --- --- --- --- ---
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to
rounding
TABLE 7B
HOW WOULD GROUPS IN THE U.S. HANDLE A CRISIS COMPARED TO JAPAN
"If we had a huge earthquake in the United States do you think that
the following groups would handle the crisis better or worse than
Japan did?"
Summary of those saying "better"
Base: All adults
Total Age Gender
18-34 35-44 45-54 55+ Male Female
% % % % % % %
The electric
power
companies 24 20 20 24 29 27 21
The government 21 18 21 21 24 22 20
-------------- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
The public 12 13 12 12 13 15 10
---------- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
Methodology
This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between April 8 to 12, 2011 among 2,483 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.
The Harris Poll® #48, April 14, 2011
By Humphrey Taylor, Chairman, The Harris Poll
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is one of the world’s leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
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SOURCE Harris Interactive