Japanese Crisis Triggers Some Anxieties Among Minorities of Americans

Many people are at least somewhat concerned about radiation reaching the U.S. and that the U.S. economy will be affected

News provided by

Harris Interactive

Apr 14, 2011, 06:04 ET

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

Male

Female

H.S. or less

Some college

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

Male

Female

H.S. or less

Some college

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

Male

Female

H.S. or less

Some college

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

Gender

Education

18-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Male

Female

H.S. or

less

Some

college

College

grad+

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

Concerned (NET)

67

62

63

69

72

64

70

70

67

62

    Very concerned

15

12

18

21

14

13

18

18

15

11

    Somewhat concerned

52

50

45

49

59

51

52

52

52

51

Not concerned (NET)

33

38

37

31

28

36

30

30

33

38

    Not very concerned

27

30

28

28

24

28

26

25

27

31

    Not at all concerned

6

8

9

3

4

8

3

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 likely (NET)

Much more likely

Somewhat more likely

Less likely (NET)

Somewhat less likely

Much less likely

No change

NA – I do not purchase these items

Fish for raw consumption (e.g. sushi, sashimi)

%

4

2

2

40

10

30

17

39

Electronics (e.g. computers, digital cameras)

%

7

4

4

16

9

7

71

6

Cars

%

6

3

3

14

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

Gender

Education

18-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Male

Female

H.S. or

less

Some

college

College

grad+

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

More likely (NET)

4

8

5

2

1

7

2

4

4

6

    Much more likely

2

4

2

1

*

3

1

1

2

3

    Somewhat more likely

3

5

4

1

1

4

2

3

3

3

Less likely (NET)

10

7

10

11

11

10

9

10

10

9

    Somewhat less likely

5

5

4

4

5

6

4

4

5

6

    Much less likely

5

2

5

6

6

5

5

6

5

3

No change

53

55

56

49

53

58

48

14

54

67

NA – I do not eat in Japanese restaurants

33

29

29

38

35

25

41

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

Better

Worse

No difference

Not at 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