What percentage of people have been asked questions in a survey?
When I was 18, two related things happened.
One day myself and a friend were stopped on Grafton St by a woman with a clipboard and asked if we would mind stepping into a bar and tasting beers for a survey. We did. And there was no catch: we did not, for instance, end up being drugged and stripped of our internal organs.
Then, shortly after that, I was asked to eat an experimental type of Moro and tell a researcher whether it I liked new Tuna-Flavoured Moro (my memory is hazy on the detail) or preferred original Moro.
Since then: nothing. No surveys. No questions. Only a couple of censuses, which don’t count because it’s illegal not to answer the questions. And online polls, which don’t count for anything.
And yet, every day I open the papers and see a new survey reported. Sometimes two. Often, half a dozen. That 30 per cent of Irish men use hair straighteners, say. Or that the Irish average eight sexual partners in their life. Or that the Irish will spend more than anyone else this Christmas. Or that the iPod is our favourite invention of modern times. Or countless other headline grabbing results that surveys have thrown up.
I’ve not been asked any of these questions. I have not opened the paper and known, say, that I am among the 43 per cent of people who answered that Mount Everest is in Longford.
Have you ever been asked? If so, what did they ask you?
Do you know anyone who actually asks the questions? “Hi, I’m from a market research company. How many people have you slept with?”
Does this count as a survey?
TNS mrbi have recently taken to calling my house to ask whether I’d like to participate in some surveys. Initially I thought this was a great idea, as I could influence the regular political polls, however my time was generally wasted answering repetitive questions on which brand of alcohol I prefer to drink in certain situations (”When drinking at home, how would you rate Guinness? Budweiser? Heineken? etc. When out with friends, how would you rate…”)
Comment by Brian | November 22, 2007 at 11:13 amI always thought by survey the journalist or person writing the press release meant “quick show of hands around the office”.
Comment by markg | November 22, 2007 at 11:23 amIf someone asked me how many sexual partners I’d had in my life I’d lie if I was on my own, if I was with a pal and if I was with my better half. I’m sure I’m not alone in adopting this tactic, thus deeming the survey worthless.
Comment by Brock Landers | November 22, 2007 at 11:57 amI’d say an awful lot of them are based on the online ones. Why do you think they offer to pay you in amazon vouchers for doing surveys online? Somebody cares about the results. An hour or so more of mindlessly clicking multiple choice answers and I’ll have my tenner off voucher…
Comment by Gwen | November 22, 2007 at 12:02 pmI always say- I rather not, thank you, and that gets them every time.
Anyway - they use Delphi technique- which means they have decided already what result they need.
Comment by catherine | November 22, 2007 at 2:33 pmCatherine - An interesting point that, because it never fails to amaze how many times, for example, a chocolate bar maker will come up with results that say that 93 per cent of people think chocolate bars are the greatest invention ever, and so on.
Comment by Shane | November 22, 2007 at 2:37 pmI’m in the “never been asked” group, I’ve done a quick survey here in the office (the show of hands technique) and of 10 people, no one has participated in a survey of any note apart from online polls.
Comment by Sarah | November 22, 2007 at 3:13 pmSarah - Philosophical question: by the very act of surveying them, has that changed all that?
Comment by Shane | November 22, 2007 at 6:03 pmI ended up in a survey / morkeshing group thing for the rebranding of Monster Munch (Walkers were bringing thei ones into the Irish market and so the name had to be changed). I like to think that I am single-handedly responsible for the name change to ‘Mighty Munch’.
They taste shit now though, don’t they?
Comment by UnaRocks | November 22, 2007 at 6:43 pmDid you know 75% of statistics are made up on the spot?
Comment by ElectricP | November 23, 2007 at 9:22 am14% of people know that.
Comment by markg | November 23, 2007 at 12:12 pmI think mostly these days they do those online thingies that they say you’re “paid” for but you’re generally entered into a draw. I am still one of those people who answers these surveys all the time. Mostly, honestly I have to say but I’m not sure if that would be the majority. It is somewhat comforting to not talk about your sexual partners to a person but rather a computer screen.
Comment by Tri | November 23, 2007 at 2:22 pmSurveys have shown that people are more likely to believe a quoted statistic if it has a decimal in it.
95.63% of respondents said so.
Comment by Celtictigger | November 23, 2007 at 4:36 pm“They taste shit now though, don’t they?”
Comment by Eoin | November 26, 2007 at 10:07 pmI think the Mighty (formerly Monster) Munch taste changed a little some time around the rebranding, but they’re still yum. Nicest crisps around.