Do People Lie to Pollsters?

[rinsd]

CBS) By Kathy Frankovic, CBS News director of surveys

Do people lie to pollsters?

After the wrong prediction in 1948 election, the editors of The New Yorker magazine thought people did — and that they should. "The total collapse of the public opinion polls," they wrote, "shows that the country is in good health .... (A)lthough you can take a nation's pulse, you can't be sure that the nation hasn't just run up a flight of stairs … (W)e are proud of America for clouding up the crystal ball, for telling one thing to a poll-taker, another thing to a voting machine. This is an excellent land."

There have been campaigns to lie to pollsters. In the early 1980s, Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko told people to do it before the Illinois primary. But when CBS News conducted a short poll in the Chicago area to see whether readers would take his advice, many people said they read the column, and enjoyed what Royko had to say, but also that they wouldn't take his advice seriously. And in fact, that year's primary election poll was quite accurate.

Lying takes more mental effort than telling the truth. Telling one lie usually means you need to tell more lies. It's much easier not to say anything, or just hang up the phone — which might help explain why response rates to polls have dropped over the years. If people take the time to answer a pollster's questions, they usually try to tell the truth!

However, some answers to poll questions may not be lies, but they also may not quite be the truth. They may be the product of faulty recall, or of misremembered memories. Respondents answer the questions they are asked, but if a question requires too much effort, they may do just enough thinking to come up with a reasonable answer. Survey psychologists call this "satisficing." (a combination of "satisfying" and "sufficing")."

More at the link - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/15/opinion/pollpositions/main3169223.shtml

I found this interesting. I'm sure other poll junkies will to.

[TomInTib]

1. I do.

Not every poll, mind you, just the ones that need a little lying to.

[Speck Tater]

2. Here's an example I read today of lying to polsters.

In the book After the Empire by Emmanuel Todd he mentions an interesting fact: In public opinion polls about 50% of Americans say they attend church regularly. According to the best available population and church attendance records, the reality is that about 25% of Americans attend church regularly. So 25% of Americans DO NOT attend church regularly, but when asked in a poll, lie and claim they do.

[happyslug]

11. Could it be the definition of "Attending Regularly"

"Attending Regularly" can mean once a week or once a year. What the phase means to most people is once a week, but many people may mean it to include once a year. Thus the difference may be one of definition NOT lying. This is a problem with ALL polls, if I said I like Hillary, does that mean I will vote for her? Could be yes, could be no. If I was to say Obama would be a good President, foes that mean I will vote for him? Maybe, Maybe not. This is something you have to understand happens when people talk, the person speaking may be saying what the pool taker wants to hear, but the two are really discussing two different things. I may say I could vote for Hillary, does that mean I will? Saying I will vote for Hillary is NOT the same thing as voting for her or even supporting her in her quest for the Presidency. Thus when you look at pools keep in mine the possibility, that what people are saying, while the exact same words, does not always mean the extra same thing.

[Donnachaidh]

3. do pollsters lie to people?

You can push people into answering questions by the way the question is framed. :shrug:

[msongs]

4. do political candidates lie to pollsters and people? nt

[Colobo]

5. I don't. Why would I do such thing?

[Lobster Martini]

6. Does a bear....

I have not deliberately lied to pollsters, but I have been asked such incredibly dumb questions that you have to wonder how the person who thought of the question gets home at night without having a string tied from a molar to the doorknob...so, unable to give nuanced answers, I suspect that my answers may have not always been of much use...but they were true.

[MaineDem]

7. Ummm...yeah!

Of course they do.

[durrrty libby]

8. Yes people lie to pollsters and others.

In their mind they take what they believe is the high road,
even though reality tells a different story


I have done thousands of medical intake forms and people lie their

asses off. They want to convince not just the questionnaire, but also

themselves, that they are better, nicer, healthier, eat less fat....whatever... than the evidence proves.

[TwilightZone]

9. DU this poll!!

Not only do people lie, but they also influence them whenever possible.

Internet polls, for example, are notoriously inaccurate, because any group with a little organization can target and skew them.

[jmp]

10. I don't think that people "lie" ...

But I think that people tend to give what they perceive to be the "right" answer. For example, I was once called up and polled on a number of topics, and one question went something like this ...

"When viewing a commercial on TV, do you prefer informative fact based commercials that explain the benefits of the product/service or commercials featuring attractive people that associate the product/service with fun/wealth/happiness/sex appeal ... ?"

My response? I prefer viewing the informative commercials ...

*laughter on both ends of the line*

[barack4prez]

12. I hope so.

[Ethelk2044]

13. I do. I always say the opposite of whom I will vote for. It is none of their business

[trayted]

14. Yes, they lie all of the time

When 90% say they would vote for a black person, as they do in almost ever poll when they are asked that question, they are lying, because they never do.

But, I don't think that I can really say that they are lying. The hidden message in their answer is, "not that black candidate." That's how they will justify it, even though every black candidate becomes "that black candidate," and they never end up voting for either one, so yes, they are lying.

Others see Clinton and think that Bill Clinton is running again, so they aren't lying. They are just lazy-minded.

[illinoisprogressive]

15. some lie and some don't want to say they are undecided.