A Gun Survey From Yale

[clubsoda22]

guys, you have to realize that slanted questions in political tests are meant to provoke you, it is not bias. If you ask a liberal and conservative what he thought the liberal will complain of right wing bias and the conservative will complain about left wing bias.

The "biased questions" are to see how much you react.

the only question that caught me as unfair was "Would you say that having a gun in the home increases the risk of someone being accidentally shot?"

I had to say slightly because if no gun was present, how the hell would you accidentally shoot yourself? You are forced to answer yes.

 

[Chaz]

Rabid gun owners oblivious to dangers of unregulated business, ecological catastrophe, have no compassion or respect for diversity.

Thats funny! I thought the same thing only you forgot the obligatory "...for the children" statment in there.

WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN????

 

[Werewolf]

My take on the poll was that it was being taken in order to provide info to some democratic presidential candidate on how to appeal to the broadest spectrum of the population (especially pro-gunners) without having to actually take a stand on anything.

I did find the poll to be a biased in favor of the left - i.e. questions were worded so that the left answer equaled good while the right answer equaled bad.

 

[DigitalWarrior]

About the biases

questions were worded so that the left answer equaled good while the right answer equaled bad

I think that some people on this board have guilty conciences

 

[CJ]

I disliked the portion of a theoretical question from a congressman stating that a new study showed that CCW increased crime, so he was going to oppose it. Then it asks if I agree or disagree with him.

Let's see: If I disagree, then I'm a lunatic who wants a gun even if it means other people will be hurt.

If I agree, then I am apparently against CCW.

I wonder if he'll consider my comment that I'd question the study since earlier studies have shown an opposite trend...

 

[rock jock]

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see that 90% of the people on THR that proclaim welfare taxes are stealing (I'm one of them) have also given money/food to homeless people.

I doubt that very much.

 

[geegee]

The more I think about this poll, the more I think it's being produced by some faculty professor who's pissed off at another Yale professor, namely John Lott. You have to think that he's made more than a few enemies in those halls of academia, what with all the media attention generated by books like "More Guns, Less Crime." I would think he's probably close to "pariah class" amongst his peers. That's life! geegee

 

[Bill Hook]

Research

Kahan, D., & Gastil, J. (2002). Co-Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation (Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences: Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Program). Funding to study political culture and public deliberation on gun control in the United States. ($400,000).

Gee, looks like the gubmint gave him $400K of OUR MONEY to study gun control.

 

[nico]

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see that 90% of the people on THR that proclaim welfare taxes are stealing (I'm one of them) have also given money/food to homeless people.

personally, I don't see taxes as stealing, but I do think they are too high and the government takes our money to pay for way too much. That being said, IMO, there's a huge difference between willingly giving your money to someone and having it unwillingly taken and given to the person. That's why welfare is called welfare and charity is called charity.

 

[M1911Owner]

Man, it sure seemed like there were a lot of questions on the order of, "How often should you beat your wife?: O A few time a day; O Daily; O Every other day; O A few times a week; O Weekly.

I especially didn't like the one about where you land on a liberal-conservative axis. I don't like any of those positions--I go off on an orthogonal axis in the direction of "limited government." Both that libs and the cons want too much power.

I wish I'd taken notes while taking the test--there were an awful lot of questions that presupposed facts not in evidence.

 

[FPrice]

I agree with someone who said that this IS a gun-issues survey. Some of my comments to the person conducting this survey:

"I am begining to think that this is not a survey to determine a wide variety of societal opinions but rather a thinly disguised anti-gun survey with additional questions to attribute certain opinions to personnel who appear to be pro- or anti-gun. So far, all of your "scenarios" revolve around the opinion that the availability of guns to law-abiding citizens increases crime and that banning gun ownership would decrease crime. Unfortunately for many anti-gun groups, this is not the case. I will be very curious to see where this all goes."

"I am of the opinion that this is more of a survey concerning gun issues than anything else. The initial questions seem to me to be determining demographics and other background information rather than any serious attempt to determine societal positions on different topics. As evidence I present the fact that the only detailed scenarios you present suggest that guns in the hands of honest citizens cause crime. And I know for a fact that I am not the only person who has noticed and commented on this fact."

Do you think that Mr. Gastil will get the point that we are on to him?

 

[Tag]

well that was a half hour rant at whatever faceless gungrabbers posted it.

 

[deanf]

You guys did notice that he works for the University of Washington, in Washington State, not Yale, right?

Not sure why it's hosted on Yale's server.

 

[Buckskinner]

Read this again:

Kahan, D., & Gastil, J. (2002). Co-Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation (Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences: Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Program). Funding to study political culture and public deliberation on gun control in the United States. ($400,000).

This says he is studying two things about "gun control" in the US. Namely:
1) Political culture
2) Public deliberation

In other words, who's talking about it, where and why? AND which way is the wind blowing?

Y'know, grant writing isn't that hard...Anybody want to get paid to do some research and poll taking? By the people for the people?

 

[MeekandMild]

I'm afraid I got more irritated at the leader questions than the gun questions.

As an example the gay marriage question, as I've tried to demonstrate to my Lesbian nieces, I love them both but its still a domestic partnership. You just can't go changing the basic definition of words, if you could I'd change the word "taxpayer" to "fiscal gang rape victim".

Buckskinner, you know we probably have a significant number of people here who have the credentials to really get a grant like this. $400,000 would go a long way to pay both our stipends, plus a nickle or two for the guy who writes the html code. I love writing psychobabble for money.

 

[Highland Ranger]

Just took it . . . .I agree, too many questions about guns for it to not be gun related. Up front stuff is just to fit you into a demographic.

As some have mentioned, I bet we as a group (gun owners) don't fit into any one category real well . . .

 

[Russ]

Took it. I like where they ask your religion. If you put certain ones do they disregard or marginalize what you have to say?

I should have put that I was a Muslim or an Atheisit. I'm not either of those but maybe that would have been more PC to them as opposed to putting Catholic, Protestant, Latter Day Saint or Jewish.

Let us know if this gets published anywhere.

 

[Michael]

Hi folks,

I participated in the "study," pointed out various and sundry instrument construction flaws along the way, and then pointed the researchers toward classic undergraduate texts that address the proper methodologies of questionnaire design and construction. I wonder if they will consider my input?

The final results, as well as the conduct and findings of the "larger study," should be interesting to see (does anyone really believe the Amazing Karnak is needed to predict the outcome successfully ?).

Sincerely,

Michael

 

[cratz2]

I took it... I'm also one usually not easily fit into a popular category. When I take the 'What are you' tests, I usually come out as being about middle of the road. Slightly libritarian, slightly conservative but my actual beliefs aren't really representative of that... I don't believe in the death penalty but I wouldn't hesitate one second to put someone down that was causing or would potentially cause harm to my children. I don't think that pot smokers or prostitutes (and solicitors) should face any sort of jail time but I believe that many crimes should be much more severely punished (time in jail wise) than they are such as any violent offense esp rape and I believe that we need to build more prisons to house said offenders without concern of overcrowding.

Anyway, on the survey, the two questions I had the biggest problems with were the two about 'The following are two statements than have been made about gun control'... one was something to the effect of even if legal gun ownership increased crime, should the be banned' is so offensively misleading I almost stopped. And the reference to the 'cop-killer bullets' made me chuckle as it always does.

 

[BluesBear]

Y'all think this "survey" was a little bit biased?

0 - Somewhat
0 - Quite a Bit
0 - Yes
0 - Hell Yes
0 - Flippin' ay right it was biased



U-dub, <sigh> my tax dollars at work





U-dub = UW = University of Washington

 

[ClonaKilty]

Got the Faculty Index page for Washignton University

Actually it's University of Washington, not Washington University (which is in Saint Louis).

Just keeping things straight

 

[morganm01]

Most of those were not questions, but statements you were asked to agree or disagree with. The Bias was intentional in them.