The nature, drivers, and frequency of immigration misperceptions in Switzerland

Public perceptions of immigration are notoriously inaccurate, with many people being inclined to overrate both the number of immigrants and their negative impact on society. While gaining some attention in recent years, the study of these misperceptions about immigration has been hampered by a striking lack of data and difficulties to develop sound empirical measurements. In this article, we address these constraints by introducing a novel survey module for such misperceptions. Based on a multilingual large-N survey conducted in Switzerland, we then present evidence concerning their nature and frequency among the general population. Finally, we discuss several implications of the conceptualization and measurement of misperceptions about immigration, and how they can help us to advance our understanding of popular attitudes and policy preferences alike.