A 2003 nationwide policy survey titled "Ask America" was...

A 2003 nationwide policy survey titled "Ask America" was sent by the National Republican Congressional Committee to voters in the Forty-fourth Congressional District, asking for opinions on a variety of political issues. ${ }^{6}$ Here are some questions from the survey: - In recent years has the federal government grown more or less intrusive in your personal and business affairs? - Is President Bush right in trying to rein in the size and scope of the federal government against the wishes of the big government Democrats? - Do you believe the death penalty is a deterrrent to crime? - Do you agree that the obstructionist Democrats should not be allowed to gain control of the U.S. Congress in the upcoming elections? Comment on the effect of wording bias on the responses gathered using this survey.

A 2003 nationwide policy survey titled "Ask America" was sent by the National Republican Congressional Committee to voters in the Forty-fourth Congressional District, asking for opinions on a variety of political issues. ${ }^{6}$ Here are some questions from the survey:
- In recent years has the federal government grown more or less intrusive in your personal and business affairs?
- Is President Bush right in trying to rein in the size and scope of the federal government against the wishes of the big government Democrats?
- Do you believe the death penalty is a deterrrent to crime?
- Do you agree that the obstructionist Democrats should not be allowed to gain control of the U.S. Congress in the upcoming elections?
Comment on the effect of wording bias on the responses gathered using this survey.

Key Concepts

Framing Effect

The framing effect is a phenomenon where the way information or questions are presented affects decision-making and responses. When survey questions are framed with loaded terms or political connotations, it can alter how respondents perceive the issues and potentially lead them to answers that reflect the bias in the phrasing rather than their true opinions.

Wording Bias

Wording bias occurs when the choice of words, tone, or phrasing in survey questions unduly influences respondents’ answers. This can lead to distortions in the reported opinions, as respondents may be swayed by emotionally charged or leading language rather than providing an unbiased reaction to the issue being surveyed.

Survey Methodology

Survey methodology encompasses the practices, procedures, and techniques used in designing and conducting surveys. Effective survey methodology requires carefully crafted neutral questions to avoid introducing bias. If the wording is slanted due to political or value-laden language, the validity and reliability of the collected data are compromised, leading to results that may not accurately reflect the target population's views.

Transcript

00:01 In this exercise, we are told that two poles have taken place.

00:06 And in one of the polls, we are asked this question.

00:09 And in the second poll, we are asked this question.

00:13 And the only difference is the order of the words, fairly or unfairly.

00:23 And so in the polls, we had both of them were size 510.

00:35 And the sample proportions were as follows.

00:38 So when worded this way, in the first poll, 58 % of people said, the death penalty was administered fairly.

00:50 And in the poll where the question was worded this way, only 54 % said that the death penalty was administered fairly.

01:00 And so for part a, we are asked what kind of bias may be presented here.

01:04 And the issue may have to do with word bias.

01:06 So often when you pose a question a certain way, and you're comparing between two possibilities, often the one presented first is the one that sort of leads the person who's listening to the question.

01:20 So if you are given the first question, you might be kind of led to believe that there's something unfair going on.

01:27 There's something fair about this situation.

01:30 Whereas if the question is led with the word unfairly, you might be led to believe that there's something unfair going on with the application of the death penalty.

01:40 So we may have an issue of wording bias.

01:51 So in part b, we were told that if we consider combining the two groups into one larger group.

01:56 So then we would have a sample size of 120.

02:01 And since poe number one and poe number two were exactly the same sample sizes...

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