Are we skewing surveys?

Free_is_the_magic_number

So I was doing a survey today about what makeup/anti-aging products I use in my daily skin care routine today (I’m a man btw) and it got me thinking about all the survey comps that I enter.

I don’t know about you guys when you enter into surveys that have no relation to you, but when I do, I either pick at random or try to take on an alter ego where I like a particular brand or type of life style (the latter makes me wonder if I sometimes have split personality issues). :rotfl:

I wonder if we have ever as a collective made a brand win an award for something via surveys that we enter just from bombarding the site with false votes? Your thoughts...

Chopstheduck

I do wonder about the award ones. I've done a few travel ones recently and the problem with some of these is where you have to cast a vote in every single category. So I have to vote for say a cruise tour operator when I've never been a cruise in my life.

They must realise this when they set these questions that not all questions are going to be applicable to every individual, but they still make every question mandatory so I wonder how much they do really care about the results in any case!

OnceUponADream

I only enter surveys which apply to me or my hubby. I don't think it's fair on the company to make up answers, they obviously use the results for various reasons.

Marg2k8

I did one yesterday about music festivals. I put that I had not attended any in the last 12 months, but was still asked if for example a 5% increase in the ticket price would make me more or less likely to go to one next year.

I sometimes do competitions on classic FM and I vote for any piece that I happen to have heard. The others might be better, but if I don't know what they sound like, and I don't go out of my way to listen to them before making my choice.

One-Eye

Of course we skew the data, but a massive majority of surveys produce a load of rubbish anyway, or are at least they are reported in a nonsense way. Recent examples:-

1 in 4 people are struggling to feed their horse (do they mean horse owners?)

1 in 2 people have never had a professional bra fitting (yes - probably the males).

Correct reporting would be:-

3 out of 4 bald people who wanted to win an ipad agreed that L'Oreal Elvive was best for their hair.

Blulu

When it's a voting comp, I don't mind just guessing. I'm similar to Marg in that I also vote regularly for the best music choice on Classic FM, when I might only know one of them, or even sometimes none.

However, I won't complete a survey on something that I have to lie or pretend for. Like if it's on boats, when I know nothing about them, or if they want to know what you think of their site, when I never use it. If I want the prize really badly, I just might take a little time to explore their site, then answer fairly.

The only time I don't worry about this is when the survey is so badly done that I feel it's their fault, not mine, if they get made up answers. Like if they don't offer a 'none of the above' option on a non-skippable question.

miss_mils

I've always thought about this when doing a survey. A lot of these surveys are poorly written in the first place, often skewed so the company can produce the results they want.

I agree with not filling in surveys about something I have no interest in/knowledge of.

starrybee

One-Eye wrote: »

Correct reporting would be:-

3 out of 4 bald people who wanted to win an ipad agreed that L'Oreal Elvive was best for their hair.

Hahahahah this made me laugh! :rotfl: