Tamas Bodor

Tamás Bodor is a Professor in Professional Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. His research focuses on public opinion formation, political communication, and the interplay between survey methodology and media effects. He has extensively studied the spiral of silence theory, particularly in the context of new media’s influence on political opinion climates. Bodor’s notable work includes the analysis of polling inaccuracies during the 2002 Hungarian elections, which earned him the 2008 Elizabeth H. Nelson Prize from the World Association for Public Opinion Research.

His research spans two major areas:

• Political Communication: Examines mass media effects on public opinion, political behavior, and the spiral of silence dynamics.
• Quantitative Research Methods: Focuses on polling methodology, including the challenges of timing and opinion congruity in surveys.

Recent publications highlight his exploration of media’s role in fragmented information environments and empirical validations of Lakoff’s moral frameworks in U.S. and comparative contexts.

Scientific Recognition:

• 2008 Elizabeth H. Nelson Prize for his work on Hungarian polling failures.

Dr. Bodor holds a PhD in Sociology/Communication and an MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, and an MA in Sociology and History from Pázmány Péter Catholic University.