Posted on 10/10/2012 7:40:27 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Despite declining approval numbers, pundits are opining that Obama will be re-elected because of his personal likeability rating. Lacking a background in market research, they are taking at face value a question with much more subtle implications.
In legitimate polling, three major factors include the sample, the questions, and the methodology (manner in which the poll is administered). To provide valid results, the sample must be truly representative of the target audience. For example, a purported "national sample" that skews heavily toward Democratic or Republican voters does not meet this criterion.
Also, a sample drawn from the general population for the purposes of predicting the outcome of a national election will not be as effective as one drawn from a sample of likely voters. Another consideration is the size of the sample. If properly constructed, it follows that the larger the sample size, the more valid the results will be.
The second element, the questionnaire, must be carefully composed so as to avoid presenting the questions in a manner likely to prejudice the response. For instance, the question, "Despite the dangers involved, do you favor the early release of drugs under consideration by the FDA in critical cases?" is much more a leading question than "In critical cases, do you favor the early release of drugs under consideration by the FDA?"
Even with the best intentions, experienced researchers can pose questions in such a way that they are prejudicial, misleading, or poorly understood. Because of this, ethical researchers will pre-test questionnaires on a control group to ensure that the questions are effective.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Excellent Summation!
Thank You for setting things straight.
And I would contend that the Lyin’ King was not “Freely Elected” either...votor fraud, false white guilt, ACORN shenanigans, etc included.
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