Monday, July 03, 2006
Most Surveys False, Says Survey
Vancouver (FN) - The next time you read a survey in the newspaper, you might want to take it with a grain of salt, or maybe even two. A recent study casts doubt on the accuracy of studies and surveys.
The poll shows that 35 per cent of people always lie to surveys and 30 per cent say they sometimes lie to surveys. A further 28 per cent maintain they "usually or always" tell the truth to surveys. The remaining seven per cent offered no opinion or refused to answer.
Responses became even more lopsided when people were questioned on their perception of other people's behaviour on surveys. 79 per cent of respondents said they believed that other people consistently lied on surveys. Only 10 per cent felt that other people told the truth, while others offered no answer.
"The scientific accuracy of polls is typically exaggerated by the media. Survey researchers call any error other than sampling error 'non-sampling errors.' Measurement error is any problem with getting the 'true answer' from a respondent," says Gary Mauser, a professor at Simon Fraser University.
These types of discrepancies became clear on other questions asked in the survey. The question "How's about you buy me a drink?" was answered in the negative 90 per cent of the time. The question "Haven't I met you somewhere before?" directed exclusively to female survey participants likewise was almost universally rejected. In both cases, the previous answers on polling accuracy throw these answers in doubt.
The poll was conducted between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. on June 30, 2006. The survey sample was comprised of 10 people in a bar. The poll is considered accurate within a margin of error of plus or minus 100 points, 19 times out of 20.
posted by Mentok @ 8:58 a.m.,
2 Comments:
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At 11:08 a.m.,
said...
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Accuracy of surveys studied with a survey? Outstanding! Very funny!Three out of four of my personalities loved this piece!
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At 9:40 p.m.,
jamwall said...
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my polls say that 0 percent of women at the bar have any desire to do the dirty sanchez.
