The Predictive Value of Consumer Confidence Measures

Relatively simple measures of consumer confidence can frequently lead more complex economic indicators, and/or counter or resist the trends indicated by the industrial and financial segments of the economy. This article describes a number of such consumer survey measurements and compares one of them with a more sophisticated set of economic indicators. Burns W. Roper is Chairman of The Roper Organization, Inc. Public Opinion Quarterly Vol. 46:361-367 ? 1982 by the Trustees of Columbia University Published by Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc. 0033-362X/82/0046-361/$2.50 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.144 on Mon, 13 Jun 2016 06:27:51 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms