Opinions can not be trusted
August 14th 2009 04:28
Richard Smith, a British doctor and director of the Ovations program which fights chronic disease in the developing world, recently had breakfast in Bangladesh with an unnamed economics professor from Harvard University.
The conversation during the meal was hardly the mundane breakfast chat of the common man. What these two higher minds chose to discuss was the degree to which the findings of most scientific surveys around the world each year can be trusted.
The conversation started like this. "Economists pay no attention to what people say, only to what they do." It was the Harvard economics professor speaking, so he should know what he is talking about.
Dr Smith responded that he tended to agree. After all, he said, we all know that there is a big gap between what people say and what they do. "Consequently I’ve always been wary of surveys. The more I think about it, however, the more I think that we should ignore all surveys. Life is too short."
One can only wonder if these two venerable men had any idea what a dagger they were plunging into the heart of bloggers everywhere, for whom the results of surveys are a constant and rich source of material.
Whose opinion are we to trust now?
Source: BMJ Group Blogs
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Comment by RubySoho
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Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
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business people are always trying to over-analyse demographics and make predictions on consumer trends
however i dont consider these to be "opinion polls" as they are not polling peoples opinions, they are polling peoples perceptions on what they spend and where they spend it and what they would like to spend in future
most people dont keep spreadsheets and receipts of every minor expenditure, its much more useful going to the person selling and asking them to break down their income
but i guess theres always going to be some nerd who likes to know that grandma is more likely to buy and icecream than popcorn at the matinee
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
There's usually some advocacy agenda behind most.
It's been a great PR smoke and mirrors act for years in the most part. Get a PR agency to put out a spurious survey - dress it up as news - and the hound come barking.
Take most with a grain of salt I say and do your homework when it comes to a. who financed the survey and b. what product, service or agenda that group has.
Nice topic.
Comment by Chris Champion
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Thank you for your responses. They have been collated and analysed,and will now be ignored
Comment by Someone
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Let's Get Down To Business
Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
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From the horse's mouth! Great comment, thanks. It supports the professor's statement, "Economists pay no attention to what people say, only to what they do." I found that very interesting - it's the reason I wrote the post.