One Interesting Aspect of Surveys Is That the Order of the Questions

question 49

Essay

One interesting aspect of surveys is that the order of the questions can affect the results. This is thought to occur because one question can alter the response to a subsequent question. In 1948 many people in the United States were concerned about the spread of communism as a political and economic philosophy. A survey given that year contained both of the following questions:
1. Do you think the United States should let Communist newspaper reporters from other countries come in here and send back to their papers the news as they see it?

2. Do you think a Communist country like Russia should let American newspaper reporters come in and send back to America the news as they see it?
The following table contains the percentages of the Yes/No answers given by respondents when asked these questions in different orders.

a) Construct a comparative bar chart for these response percentages.
b) Interpret the results of the 1948 survey. Do you think the order of the questions made a difference in the responses? Explain.

---

Definitions:

Research and Development

Activities undertaken by a business to develop new products or improve existing ones, often involving innovation and technological advancement.

Capitalized

The process of recording an expenditure as an asset, rather than an expense, allowing a company to spread out the cost over time.

Natural Resource Depletion

The consumption of natural resources faster than they can be replenished, specifically accounted for in the valuation and depreciation of such resources by companies.

Income Statement

A financial statement that shows a company's revenues and expenses over a specific period, culminating in its net income or loss for that period.