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Summary
In this episode, we discuss why we will occasionally limit the number of choices for survey questions when a wider range is available. On this topic, we were trying to mirror some of the dialog that’s been going on in our culture. As researchers, we wanted to take away some of the easier or more comfortable choices for several of these questions in order to force them to indicate which way they leaned on an issue.
Motivated by faith or hate
- We asked Americans: “What do you think motivates sincere religious believers who oppose sexual freedom?” and gave them three choices: “hate,” “faith,” and “not sure.”
- The dialog that’s been going on about sexuality in America has been one that the debate itself has not necessarily been very rational. It’s gotten very personal, very quickly. And so, if people are assuming the other’s motives are those of hate they’re not going to listen to anything they say. They’re going to disengage.
Freedoms: the give and take
- We don’t think people are seeing quite the tradeoff that…in most cases, if we’re going to give somebody more freedom then we’re actually going to have to take away freedom in another area. It tends to be religious community that is feeling like their freedoms are being limited in recent years in trying to give more freedom, as a nation, to those who want additional sexual freedom
Be sure to Tweet your questions and comments to us: @LifewayResearch and individually: @smcconn, @statsguycasey, and @lizettebeard. Join us next time for another edition of Keep Asking.
(See the full transcript for the episode –with links–on next page)
