| And the Survey Says....
Posted: 2/7/2007 8:35:01 AM | And the Survey Says....
Got a call last night wanting me to take a Survey for the Gov't (cdn). So I think, "Yea, I'd like to let them know how I feel". However the very first question rises the hairs on the back of my neck.
They asked if I thought that Border Security was "Better" now then five years ago.
But what do they mean by "Better"?
If I answered in the negative, then my response would be seen as saying, "We need more Security." And if I answered in the positive, I would be seen as saying, "They're doing a Great Job".
Neither is the impression I wanted to give. I think current Border Security is a smoke screen, a non issue, a Joke. And that it was much better 20 years ago then it is now
But! there were no check boxes for what I felt the issue was. Yes or No was not enough to get across how I really felt.
And Everyone Hold on a Minute, I do not want to get into the issue of Border Security.
Rather my concern is how the wording of Questions (and their sequence) can distort the out comes.
The questions in the survey last nite were very self serving and designed in such a way that no matter how you answered the Gov't could use it to justify doing the opposite to what most of the people would like.
Lets take a survey right here..
How many think this thread is "Better" then other threads?
Well it's better because I used Spell Check. But not Better as I've got no sources. | |
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| And the Survey Says....
Posted: 2/7/2007 9:08:49 AM |  Luv this thread.
I think it's better because....... you do not recite sources. So much of the news is hype anyway, that giving your own personal opinion carries more weight in respect to discussions on forums as this. | |
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| And the Survey Says....
Posted: 2/7/2007 11:40:33 AM | You raise an important point.
It's always important to find out who is taking the survey and who's paying for the research.
Anything, anything, anything, the most outrageous claims, can be proven statistically, if you really want to prove it.
Real professional pollsters are always very careful about how they word the questions. | |
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| And the Survey Says....
Posted: 2/7/2007 12:15:56 PM | | What kinda survey is this? Where are the Yes/No/Maybe check boxes? | |
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| And the Survey Says....
Posted: 2/7/2007 12:24:27 PM | Everybody wants feedback. I got the oil changed in my car on Monday morning and that evening I got a call asking me to complete a survey on the service I received. I asked if it would have any direct effect on the guys who did the work. If I say the service was superior then do they get a raise? If I say it sucked will someone get the axe? Nope. Just for their records. I guess they round off these stats and use them to feel good about the customer satisfaction rating.
I ask these questions of everyone who calls. I had a woman call me a couple of nights ago asking for money to provide for a number of starving African children. What?? I asked her how she knew these children were starving, had inadequate health care, drank contaminated water and all the other "facts" she was stating. She said it was a prepared statement and that she didn't work for the organization that the donations would go to. I asked her what percentage her firm was taking from these "donations" to make these phone calls and exactly how that was helping these children in Africa? Again, no answers. This kind of stuff makes me ill. | |
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| And the Survey Says....
Posted: 2/7/2007 2:35:33 PM | Well , of course the surveys are slanted/ skewed. somebody is getting paid to make somebody else feel good about their job/company/service.
Given the right check boxes and questions..it will be show that black is actually white and that whatever you are trying to support is valid.
Even on POF, you must contain your choices in some respects...how do I know that my "perfect" match is somewhere in the 49-61 group instead of 48 to 62?
LIFE is full of choices, but not all little yes/no boxes...there's a lot of gray in the world. | |
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| And the Survey Says....
Posted: 2/7/2007 7:09:37 PM | Not that anybody I know would do something stupid like run for office, but candidates do receive a considerable amount of surveys from various special interest groups and the choices of answers when it comes to multiple choice surveys are set up to make you look like the Marquis de Sade or Mother Teresa.
The only ones that are even slightly less biased allow a candidate to speak freely in response to biased questions. And they are mostly geared toward a left-right, Dem-Rep, lib-con agenda.
Most survey’s reflect these biases, and as some have mentioned purchasing survey’s with leading questions have also been used to bolster political, and voter issue campaigns. | |
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| And the Survey Says....
Posted: 2/7/2007 7:46:38 PM | Most surveys ask leading questions. The ones that are really a problem are those that are yes and no answers, with no option for undecided or at least a graduation of how much one agrees with something. Some questions are appropriate and address one issue while others deal with two things that the individual might have opposite opinions on.
When surveys are quoted as supporting or negating a position, the numbers are meaningless unless one is able to see the survey and determine whether it was well-constructed and the results are an accurate representation of opinions.
I am not comfortable when something is worded in a way that does not really mesh with how I feel. | |
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| And the Survey Says....
Posted: 2/8/2007 8:05:00 AM | I am not comfortable when something is worded in a way that does not really mesh with how I feel.
And that is how I felt with this survey. There were no answers that refected how "I" felt about the subject.
Their questions were geared to "Generate Consent". If I said they were doing Fine, it would be taken to mean they should keep on spending more of "My Money". If I suggested they were Not doing Fine, it would be taken to mean they should do more spending of "My Money".
No matter how I answered they would use it to increase their spending of "My Money". When what I really feel is that they are just wasting "My Money".
Everybody wants feedback.
But what good is the feed back if it suggests the opposite to what is intended?
Just another waste of "My Money"! | |
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