The process of using surveys are fraught with possible traps and mistakes. The type of questions asked the region the survey is deployed in, the type of people who are asked, and even something as simple as the order of the questions can influence the data gathered. One example is a survey in 2003 asked people “whether they would ‘favor or oppose taking military action in Iraq to end Saddam Hussein’s rule.’ However, when asked whether they would ‘favor or oppose taking military action in Iraq to end Saddam Hussein’s rule even if it meant that U.S. forces might suffer thousands of casualties,’ responses were dramatically different.”1 This easily shows how surveys can be misleading due to psychology. Surveys are still a popular form of data collection though, due to the fact that if implemented correctly, this type of research can give a great amount of insight. Even the best survey can never be one-hundred percent accurate, especially for the entire population, but it is different than other forms of research. Surveys can show the beliefs and perspectives of as many people as possible to give a greater understanding of society. In studying history, for example, one can see how perspectives and beliefs of people changed over time. When Americans were asked what the most important issue facing the country was, the answers depended upon what was happening.

Keeping out of the war, for example, was one of the most important issues during 1941, but this worry disappears in 1997. 2 This primary source is an excellent way for Historians to understand past perspectives. War was an issue in 1941 due to world war II and not in 1997 due to a lack of foreign wars the US was involved in since it was before 9/11. As for responses, especially with open-ended questions, one can expect similar types of answers, but even people who believe in the same thing can answer a question drastically differently. One can never assume that people taking the same survey will answer the same or different. The complex interactions of environment, social class, race, gender, and sexual orientation to name a few creates a unique situation for each person. Even if you are in the same social category as another person your beliefs can be different. For example, the Equal Rights Amendment failed to pass due to divisions within one category. Despite the ERA giving equal legal rights for all, many women believed that “the ERA would do away with much of the special status granted to women, including the right to be supported by their husbands, and would damage the traditional American family.” 3

Answers and beliefs are heavily influenced by not one, but multiple social categories as well as individual natures. One can hypothesize what social group will answer in a certain way, but people are not simple, and even similar groups can believe in opposite views. Overall, surveys, despite their faults, is one of the best ways to grasp an understanding of many perspectives on a specific topic that takes all the difference between people into consideration.

Footnotes and Work Cited

1  “Questionnaire Design.” Pew Research Center Methods. Pew Research Center. Accessed January 31, 2020. https://www.pewresearch.org/methods/u-s-survey-research/questionnaire-design/.

2  Aisch, Gregor, and Alicia Parlapiano. “’What Do You Think Is the Most Important Problem Facing This Country Today?’.” The New York Times. The New York Times, February 28, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/27/us/politics/most-important-problem-gallup-polling-question.html?_r=3.

3 Law, Tara. “The History of the Equal Rights Amendment.” Time. Time, January 15, 2020. https://time.com/5657997/equal-rights-amendment-history/.