British public wrong about nearly everything...

[Randy Winkman]

I think that a lot of what people believe is stuff that they'd like to be true because it gives them an excuse for why their own life isn't as cushy as they'd like it to be. i.e. I'd be rich and successful if it wasn't for all the foreigners, scroungers and single mums.

[scenario8]

It's only a little survey, isn't it? It's not forming the basis of a UN resolution or anything. Ignore it if you don't like it. I'm going to have forgotten about it by the morning and I did "like" it.

[MarshPhantom]

Getragdogleg said:

MarshPhantom said:

dandarez said:

Derek Smith said:

Getragdogleg said:

Some of the questions would get different answers depending on where you are in the country. The thing I don't like about this article is it is based on a study of a little over a thousand people. That is a very tiny number and a big headline to attach to it.

It is research by the Royal Statistical Society, quite well thought of I believe.

Not by me. Like all societies today, they'll have been infiltrated by some other connection.

Anyway bar what I think, how about some statistics of my own about the RSS.
At last count they had a considerable number of members.
You'd think they would have to be rather up on their game figures wise to be in a 'statistical' profession... yes?

Well, the percentage of those members who are professionally qualified statisticians is hardly tipping 20 per cent. 20 per cent only are QS.

Hence, the words: statistics, statistics and damn lies.

Ignore.

You prefer to get your facts and figures from the Mail?

The Queen herself could ask 1015 people the questions but it will not mean that the "British public" don't know what they are talking about, it means that a selection of the 1015 don't know what they are talking about.

Anyone jumping on this snippit of news to try and support an argument needs to look long and hard at their information quality control.

Would you like them to survey everyone in the country?

[Countdown]

Getragdogleg said:

The Queen herself could ask 1015 people the questions but it will not mean that the "British public" don't know what they are talking about, it means that a selection of the 1015 don't know what they are talking about.

it depends if that sample is broadly representative of the wider public. I'm guessing that the Statistical society know a thing or two about accurate sampling.

Getragdogleg said:

Anyone jumping on this snippit of news to try and support an argument needs to look long and hard at their information quality control.

My take on it was that it's a large proportion of the people in the sample (who seem to believe some utter rubbish) that need to exercise some quality control.

[Getragdogleg]

MarshPhantom said:

Would you like them to survey everyone in the country?

My point is that you cannot take a headline like that one seriously If it is based on only 1015 people.

[MarshPhantom]

Getragdogleg said:

MarshPhantom said:

Would you like them to survey everyone in the country?

My point is that you cannot take a headline like that one seriously If it is based on only 1015 people.

Why not?

TV viewing figures are worked out by surveying 1500 people nationwide.

Edited by MarshPhantom on Tuesday 4th February 21:51

[Getragdogleg]

Countdown said:

My take on it was that it's a large proportion of the people in the sample (who seem to believe some utter rubbish) that need to exercise some quality control.

To my knowledge they are not writing headlines (or replying on this thread) so I don't care how daft the information in their head is. they are not going to do anything with it of merit or consequence.

The point is the people who think that illegal immigration, teen pregnancies, foreign aid, and benefits fraud is not a big deal really want this story about everyone else being idiots to be true so it makes them feel all smug and good.

It might not all be as bad as "the public" think but it does not mean its all fine and dandy either. To me foreign Aid at 1.1% seems tiny until you imagine what sort of a figure that is in terms of "billions".

[Getragdogleg]

MarshPhantom said:

Getragdogleg said:

MarshPhantom said:

Would you like them to survey everyone in the country?

My point is that you cannot take a headline like that one seriously If it is based on only 1015 people.

Why not?

TV viewing figures are worked out by surveying 1500 people nationwide.

To me it is not representative the sample is too small.

[Colonial]

Randy Winkman said:

I think that a lot of what people believe is stuff that they'd like to be true because it gives them an excuse for why their own life isn't as cushy as they'd like it to be. i.e. I'd be rich and successful if it wasn't for all the foreigners, scroungers and single mums.

Yep. Blaming others is always easier than owning up to your own failings.

[anonymous-user]

Here's something on benefit fraud to get getrag's rag. Have you noticed that if you tell someone who believes that the sky is falling that the sky isn't falling that he/she tends to get a bit grumpy?



http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-qa-b...

[Rovinghawk]

Countdown said:

I'm guessing that the Statistical society know a thing or two about accurate sampling.

Only those who are home during the day to answer phone calls.

That might produce a skewed & unrepresentative sample.

[MarshPhantom]

Breadvan72 said:

Here's something on benefit fraud to get getrag's rag. Have you noticed that if you tell someone who believes that the sky is falling that the sky isn't falling that he/she tends to get a bit grumpy?



http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-qa-b...

Yes, only on PH, getting annoyed because things as bad as you'd like to think they are.

[Randy Winkman]

MarshPhantom said:

Breadvan72 said:

Here's something on benefit fraud to get getrag's rag. Have you noticed that if you tell someone who believes that the sky is falling that the sky isn't falling that he/she tends to get a bit grumpy?



http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-qa-b...

Yes, only on PH, getting annoyed because things as bad as you'd like to think they are.

Yes - because it shows they are not as great as they think they are. Probably pretty mediocre compared with most people in other parts of the world.

[Countdown]

Rovinghawk said:

Countdown said:

I'm guessing that the Statistical society know a thing or two about accurate sampling.

Only those who are home during the day to answer phone calls.

That might produce a skewed & unrepresentative sample.

Might do. But I'd be surprised if then one calls we're all during the day. I've often had calls in the evenings about "surveys"

As I said above, I'd assume the statistical society know enough about sampling to ensure the sample is representative.

[Moonhawk]

Actually - i'm not surprised by this at all.

Peoples perception of how common something is or the risk something poses seems to be influenced more by how often its portrayed in the media - rather than actual stats (paedogeddon anyone?)

Take road safety as an example. With all the campaigns about speeding, more and more speed cameras, massive car insurance premiums for teens, calls to change the driving age etc - if you did a poll on the average British High Street - how many people would believe you if you told them that, per capita, the UK has pretty much the safest roads in the world*

• save for a couple of microstates and small island nations.

[Countdown]

Getragdogleg said:

To my knowledge they are not writing headlines (or replying on this thread) so I don't care how daft the information in their head is. they are not going to do anything with it of merit or consequence.

Actually I think the headlines in the Wail tend to be very similar to the inaccuracies that the survey has identified. And the Interweb is full of people spouting the same rubbish as "Fact". Highlighting the inaccuracies is quite important, in my view.

Getragdogleg said:

The point is the people who think that illegal immigration, teen pregnancies, foreign aid, and benefits fraud is not a big deal really want this story about everyone else being idiots to be true so it makes them feel all smug and good.

if they feel like idiots then it's not anybody else's fault.

Getragdogleg said:

It might not all be as bad as "the public" think but it does not mean its all fine and dandy either. To me foreign Aid at 1.1% seems tiny until you imagine what sort of a figure that is in terms of "billions".

Nobody is saying its fine and dandy, but people using hyperbole to support their argument actually weaken their argument.

Edited by Countdown on Wednesday 5th February 08:04

[jmorgan]

In a poll, 74% of people believed polls were correct and the other 42% did not. 35 people were asked the questions.

[anonymous-user]

The World is divided into two types of people. Those who divide the World into two types of people, and those who do not.

[anonymous-user]

[jmorgan]

Thats George Smiley, not that car falla. I know, its on the tinternet.