Educational level and social attitudes: unraveling patterns and methodological considerations

Educational level is a fundamental variable that has been widely studied in the social sciences. Numerous studies have shown its relevance in explaining different attitudes and behaviors related to both personal and social well-being. However, except for a few exceptions, less attention has been paid to how this variable is measured and operationalized. In this article, we illustrate the effects that the operationalization of education can have on a series of variables relevant to satisfaction with society: attitudes towards immigration (Study 1), technocratic attitudes (Study 2), trust in the police (Studies 3a and 3b), and attitudes toward poverty reduction (Study 4). To do this, we use data from the EVS/WVS 2017-2022, European Social Survey Round 10, and a representative national sample from Spain. In this latter study, we include a novel variable in studies related to education: the subjective perception of educational level compared to the rest of society. Finally, we discuss our results and offer some suggestions and recommendations for those interested in studying the effects of educational level or using it as a control variable in their analyses.