A poll about polls

Secret poll answers vs public poll answers.

Do you believe that people tend to be more honest if their poll answer selection is private?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Other

If so, does this suggest that public selection polls are automatically skewed because some (not all) people voted in a particular way in order to maintain a desired public image in spite of what they actually believe and think?

While I don't consider polls to be the be-all-and-end-all of surveys, as they are voluntary and unscientific, I will admit that I do place less credibility on public polls precisely because I do believe some people are not completely honest in their selections. I believe that some people vote more for public image than per their true opinions. I believe that secret polls will tend to be answered more honestly.

For this reason, I rarely choose the 'public' option when I set up a poll. If I do, it's usually for a fun topic, not a serious topic.

If there is a perceived threat the vote is skewed.

Too often polls are designed to solicit a predetermined result, simply by the way a question is asked. When asked about gov't "job creation" as a priority, for example, if the choices are 1) favor, 2) oppose and 3) other many will say "favor", not because they actually have any idea how to accomplish that (favor any specific legislation) but they simply wish it to be so (they want more jobs). That is why "gov't do something" concepts poll very well, yet the actual approval of any specific implementation legistaltion is far, far lower. The "honesty" of the poll answer is not the issue, IMHO, but the way the poll question is posed.

radcen said:

Secret poll answers vs public poll answers.

Do you believe that people tend to be more honest if their poll answer selection is private?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Other

If so, does this suggest that public selection polls are automatically skewed because some (not all) people voted in a particular way in order to maintain a desired public image in spite of what they actually believe and think?

While I don't consider polls to be the be-all-and-end-all of surveys, as they are voluntary and unscientific, I will admit that I do place less credibility on public polls precisely because I do believe some people are not completely honest in their selections. I believe that some people vote more for public image than per their true opinions. I believe that secret polls will tend to be answered more honestly.

For this reason, I rarely choose the 'public' option when I set up a poll. If I do, it's usually for a fun topic, not a serious topic.

Click to expand...

It seems most of the election polls were pretty much on the money especially considering their plus or minus 5 points most polls use. But people do tend to tell a pollster what they want to hear to a certain extent. These people would be the ones with no hard core view on the subject being polled. By this I mean if a polling firm calls and say I am taking a survey for (Throw in a pro-life group) we would like to know if you are for abortion, against abortion or have no view. Chances are these people with no hard view on abortion will respond that they are against abortion. Now if that same call said they are polling for a pro abortion group, these people would probably respond that they are pro choice. Then too it is all in how the question is worded, some questions are worded to get the response the pollster wants.

Then there are some who will lie just to throw the pollster off. But over all if one being polled knows no one will know his answer to the poll, he is more apt to answer honestly than to tell the pollster when the one being polled thinks the pollsters want to hear.

radcen said:

Secret poll answers vs public poll answers.

Do you believe that people tend to be more honest if their poll answer selection is private?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Other

If so, does this suggest that public selection polls are automatically skewed because some (not all) people voted in a particular way in order to maintain a desired public image in spite of what they actually believe and think?

While I don't consider polls to be the be-all-and-end-all of surveys, as they are voluntary and unscientific, I will admit that I do place less credibility on public polls precisely because I do believe some people are not completely honest in their selections. I believe that some people vote more for public image than per their true opinions. I believe that secret polls will tend to be answered more honestly.

For this reason, I rarely choose the 'public' option when I set up a poll. If I do, it's usually for a fun topic, not a serious topic.

Click to expand...

I choose the public option in the poll forum section because someone does not have to log in to vote and therefore can vote as many times as they want. By making votes public you can actually see how many members actually voted.

jamesrage said:

I choose the public option in the poll forum section because someone does not have to log in to vote and therefore can vote as many times as they want. By making votes public you can actually see how many members actually voted.

Click to expand...

Good point.

Note to others: I was specifically asking about polls here on DP, not Gallup polls and the such.

my guess is anonymity generally leads to more honesty. however, you run the risk of some hack logging out and voting multiple times. still, I generally lean towards private polls.

pollception!

Helix said:

my guess is anonymity generally leads to more honesty. however, you run the risk of some hack logging out and voting multiple times. still, I generally lean towards private polls.

Click to expand...

This only a problem if the poll is in the poll forum section. If the poll is in some other forum section then only logged in members can vote.

jamesrage said:

[/B]
This only a problem if the poll is in the poll forum section. If the poll is in some other forum section then only logged in members can vote.

Click to expand...

ok, thanks. I didn't know that.

jamesrage said:

[/B]
This only a problem if the poll is in the poll forum section. If the poll is in some other forum section then only logged in members can vote.

Click to expand...

I did not know that, either. Good info.