As gay marriage gains voter acceptance, UCLA-Columbia study illuminates one possible reason

Conventional wisdom holds that changing the views of voters on divisive issues is difficult if not impossible — and that when change does occur, it is almost always temporary. But Michael LaCour, a UCLA doctoral candidate in political science, and Donald Green, a Columbia University political science professor, have demonstrated that a single conversation can go a long way toward building lasting support for a controversial social issue. In addition — nearly as surprisingly — the effect tends to spill over to friends and family members. The key is putting voters in direct with individuals who are directly affected by the issue. The findings are reported in a study that will be published Dec. 12 . "You forget the message, but you remember the messenger," said LaCour, the study's lead author, who also is a researcher at UCLA's California Center for Population Research.