YOUGOV Polls
Author
Discussion

stitched

Original Poster:

3,813 posts

197 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
I read somewhere that we overwhelmingly supported harsher measures on a yougov poll, thought I would look into it.
The 3 polls I checked, which were corona related were quite interesting.
Overwhelmingly in favour of what the Govt is currently doing.
Number who took the poll 2381, on all three polls.
Firstly a tiny sample, secondly a major coincidence.
Finally a load of bks which they use to pretend they have public support.

Jasandjules

72,029 posts

253 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
If they want an answer then a very quick referendum will do it... Pretty sure I know why they won't actually let the public decide though.

Flippin' Kipper

638 posts

203 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
Not seen the survey but for a population of 60 million with a margin of error of 2% and confidence level of 95% you need a survey size of 2400. This assumes the survey is conducted on a random selection of people of course.

DeWar

906 posts

70 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
If the sampling is truly representative of the populating as a whole (which is admittedly a big caveat) then in mathematical terms the sample size is definitely not tiny and plenty large enough to produce a meaningful result.

selym

9,575 posts

195 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
Jasandjules said:
If they want an answer then a very quick referendum will do it... Pretty sure I know why they won't actually let the public decide though.
Having seen the level of expertise from the public across social media at least the govt have the support of medical and scientific advisors - not that they appear to listen to them much.

There are some crazy fk ups on the interweb and Coronavirus has exposed them.

Sophisticated Sarah

15,078 posts

193 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
The way they pose the questions is iffy too. You get limited choices which guide you towards saying you’re scared of the virus

Pastor Of Muppets

3,803 posts

86 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
If you are looking for dodgy polls look no further than Angus Robertson of the SNP (previous deputy leader), he has set up
a polling group that specialises in independence polls, all of his polls so far show support for independence in the lead,
as if they would say anything to the contrary.

stitched

Original Poster:

3,813 posts

197 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
Flippin' Kipper said:
Not seen the survey but for a population of 60 million with a margin of error of 2% and confidence level of 95% you need a survey size of 2400. This assumes the survey is conducted on a random selection of people of course.
Or possibly you only let 2381 people who will give you the answers you want participate?
Cynical Moi?

durbster

11,832 posts

246 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
stitched said:
Flippin' Kipper said:
Not seen the survey but for a population of 60 million with a margin of error of 2% and confidence level of 95% you need a survey size of 2400. This assumes the survey is conducted on a random selection of people of course.
Or possibly you only let 2381 people who will give you the answers you want participate?
Cynical Moi?
What would be the motivation for YouGov to undermine their entire business by doing something like that?

anonymous-user

78 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
Yougov have weekly polls on all sorts of current issues and government plans.

Seems to be a pattern in that the government air a plan then there’s polls (like yougov) on it and then the policy gets dropped or introduced.

The only polls I’ve seen the government not be in line with yougov opinion since the pandemic started were the sacking of Cummings and Williamson ones.

Yougov pollsters seem to really like quarantes and curfews etc and harsher measures but then they don’t indicate support for the government’s management of the pandemic, even though the government seems to be giving them what the want each week.

They definitely filter the results from different groups to make sure it’s more representative of the population.

On the Boris thread a few of the more ‘partisn’ posters were complaining that they don’t gets sent surveys any more, presumably as their demographic (old reactionary blokes) is over represented on yougov.



Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 4th October 10:35

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

194 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
YouGov polls are generally unreliable.

However, the fanbois in the BJ & CV threads seem to rely on them, until they are out of line with their own personal narrative.




stitched

Original Poster:

3,813 posts

197 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
durbster said:
stitched said:
Flippin' Kipper said:
Not seen the survey but for a population of 60 million with a margin of error of 2% and confidence level of 95% you need a survey size of 2400. This assumes the survey is conducted on a random selection of people of course.
Or possibly you only let 2381 people who will give you the answers you want participate?
Cynical Moi?
What would be the motivation for YouGov to undermine their entire business by doing something like that?
I think it depends who runs yougov really, are they an independent survey company or an arm of the government run by the civil service?

anonymous-user

78 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
stitched said:
I think it depends who runs yougov really, are they an independent survey company or an arm of the government run by the civil service?
https://yougov.co.uk/about/

https://corporate.yougov.com/about/

Pretty sure they’re not an arm of the government.

loafer123

16,494 posts

239 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
stitched said:
I read somewhere that we overwhelmingly supported harsher measures on a yougov poll, thought I would look into it.
The 3 polls I checked, which were corona related were quite interesting.
Overwhelmingly in favour of what the Govt is currently doing.
Number who took the poll 2381, on all three polls.
Firstly a tiny sample, secondly a major coincidence.
Finally a load of bks which they use to pretend they have public support.
It seems the problem with YouGov polls is that they don’t give you the result you want to affirm your view of the world.

That, I’m afraid, is a “you problem”.

grombot

80 posts

167 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
I am a member of Yougov and regularly answer their questionnaires.

Below is one of the questions today. 31% don't go to restuarants. Make of that what you will....

To what extent, if at all, does the fact that restaurants now shut at 10pm (and that last orders are around 9.30pm) deter you from going there in the first place?
It deters me completely 4%
It deters me somewhat 11%
It doesn’t really deter me 19%
It doesn’t deter me at all 32%
I don’t go to restaurants anyway 31%
Don't know 3%

stitched

Original Poster:

3,813 posts

197 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
loafer123 said:
stitched said:
I read somewhere that we overwhelmingly supported harsher measures on a yougov poll, thought I would look into it.
The 3 polls I checked, which were corona related were quite interesting.
Overwhelmingly in favour of what the Govt is currently doing.
Number who took the poll 2381, on all three polls.
Firstly a tiny sample, secondly a major coincidence.
Finally a load of bks which they use to pretend they have public support.
It seems the problem with YouGov polls is that they don’t give you the result you want to affirm your view of the world.

That, I’m afraid, is a “you problem”.
Thanks for that, I hadn't really noticed yougov before they told the Govt I was wholly in support of their frankly appalling decisions.
Now I look into it it is part owned by a conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi, and part owned by Stephan Shakespeare also founder of ConservativeHome
So my distrust of the results is tin foil hattery?
Prick.

pquinn

7,167 posts

70 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
When it comes to commercial polling companies, there's a big difference between them doing work for research and doing work for someone to use a publicity.

One way or another if they're being paid by someone with a viewpoint to sell, they're going to give them the answer they want to make sure they keep getting hired. It's inevitable.

On the other hand if you're doing stuff for private research and it turns out to be inaccurate you aren't going to be asked again.

So while I'm sure they're capable of constructing a perfectly sound survey I'd take anything used for publicity with a bucket of salt.

pquinn

7,167 posts

70 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
Another point worth looking at is that people who'll do surveys probably aren't a representative sample of the population...

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

194 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
grombot said:
To what extent, if at all, does the fact that restaurants now shut at 10pm (and that last orders are around 9.30pm) deter you from going there in the first place?
It deters me completely 4%
It deters me somewhat 11%
It doesn’t really deter me 19%
It doesn’t deter me at all 32%
I don’t go to restaurants anyway 31%
Don't know 3%
That's gonna ruffle some feathers.

laugh

anonymous-user

78 months

Sunday 4th October 2020
quotequote all
pquinn said:
Another point worth looking at is that people who'll do surveys probably aren't a representative sample of the population...
Yougov know the pollsters as they have other information on them and then they weigh the polls to be representative of the population. As I said above some PHers were complaining that they don’t get sent some polls as there’s too many people from those demographics doing polls already.

People join yougov as they get a little bit of money now and then from doing the polls and yougov then know how they vote and their age sex, some job info etc to make the results more representative.

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 4th October 12:01