[Marxism] KnowledgeNetworks panel majority still believe lies about Iraq WMDs, Al-Qaeda support

["LouPaulsen" <LouPaulsen@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> http://www.pipa.org

Well, let me say a word or two about this study.  This is not a survey of a
random sample of the US population.  It is based on a survey of a -panel-
assembled by the KnowledgeNetworks company.  This panel is composed of
people who have agreed to answer two or three surveys per month.  They claim
that they match the demographics of this panel to the demographics of the
U.S. population.  But even if they do that, then the question you have to
ask yourself is, "Are people who agree to be on such a panel equivalent, in
all respects having to do with opinions and attitudes, to the (much larger)
proportion of the population who refuse to be on such a panel?"  I think
they must be different, but I can't measure how different.  Nobody can.

As it happens, last Monday I attended a seminar on on-line research at
Hamburger University in Oak Brook, IL.  This is the corporate training
center of the McDonald's Corporation.  This was on the day that their CEO
died of a heart attack (a possible commentary on the wages of beef), and
their flags were at half-mast.  The seminar was organized by the American
Marketing Association.  Panels like this were among the topics of
discussion.  They are very popular these days among researchers of all
types, because it is VERY difficult, and increasingly so, to get people to
answer survey questions over the telephone.  The use of on-line panels makes
it possible to do a lot of survey research inexpensively.  But it doesn't
guarantee the quality of the results.  I think the results of this survey
are suggestive, and what they suggest to me is that "a lot of people" still
believe the lies.  But I wouldn't guarantee that the actual percentages in
the US population are within 20 percentage points of the results in the
pipa.org report.

Lou Paulsen
showing off his survey research expertise
Chicago, IL



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