The Flexible Correction Model: Phenomenology and the Use of Naïve Theories in Avoiding or Removing Bias

Abstract

In the spring of 1998, President Bill Clinton was embroiled in a variety of controversies. Congressional inquiries probed for evidence of misdeeds in Democratic National Committee financing of the 1996 presidential/ vice-presidential campaign. Reports abounded regarding President Clinton's alleged extra-marital affairs with, among others, a White House aid-Monica Lewinsky. President Clinton was also sued for sexual harassment by Paula Jones. Yet throughout these allegations, grand juries, and hearings, President Clinton's job approval ratings soared to their highest point during his presidency. Some analysts scratched their heads. Others bemoaned a lack of interest in political matters on the part of the populace. Others simply claimed that people responded to job performance questions about the president by considering their own financial situation (which tended to be rather positive, given the healthy, growing economy and rising stock market).