Kevin Young|Charli Carpenter
Does Science Fiction Affect Political Fact? Yes and No: A Survey Experiment on “Killer Robots”
University of Massachusetts Amherst|University of Massachusetts Amherst
abstract scholars suggest popular culture shapes public attitudes foreign policy ways affect realworld political outcomes relatively studies test proposition examine whetherand importantly howpopular culture affects public opinion foreign policy survey experiment american attitudes toward fully autonomous weapons queried respondents consumption popular cultureincluding number iconic sciencefiction films featuring armed artificial intelligence aibefore questions autonomous weapons find science fiction priming exerts independent effect political attitudes referring autonomous weapons killer robots however consumption frightening armed ai films associated greater opposition autonomous weapons scifi literacy effect increases highest consumers science fiction primed popular culture reporting attitudeswhat call scifi geek effect project advances current understanding popular culture affects public opinion foreign policy suggests avenues inquiry