Survey on religion and morality

[Angry Floof]

Thought I'd share this for anyone interested in participating in a survey about religion and morality.

Religious Morality

Title of Project: Religious Ideologies

Principal Investigator(s): This study is being conducted by Lucas Driezen (driezen@nsuok.edu) under the direction of Dr. April Phillips (philli48@nsuok.edu).

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to examine how people’s religious beliefs influence their attitudes and behaviors in certain situations.

Procedures to be Followed: This study will be conducted as an online survey. You will be asked to complete a very brief survey.

Duration: It should take no more than 30 minutes to complete this survey.

 

[Torin]

I think everyone should agree not to discuss their answers to the questions in the survey, since that could pollute the answers other people give.

For the same reason, perhaps the moderators should lock this thread. We could discuss our answers in a different thread.

 

[Angry Floof]

I think everyone should agree not to discuss their answers to the questions in the survey, since that could pollute the answers other people give.

For the same reason, perhaps the moderators should lock this thread. We could discuss our answers in a different thread.

I don't see why any of that is necessary. It's just a post letting everyone know about a survey they can participate in if they want.

 

[Torin]

I think everyone should agree not to discuss their answers to the questions in the survey, since that could pollute the answers other people give.

For the same reason, perhaps the moderators should lock this thread. We could discuss our answers in a different thread.

I don't see why any of that is necessary. It's just a post letting everyone know about a survey they can participate in if they want.

I was just thinking it would be courteous to the student performing the survey to take steps to make sure the data isn't polluted. You don't have to.

 

[ronburgundy]

I think everyone should agree not to discuss their answers to the questions in the survey, since that could pollute the answers other people give.

For the same reason, perhaps the moderators should lock this thread. We could discuss our answers in a different thread.

I don't see why any of that is necessary. It's just a post letting everyone know about a survey they can participate in if they want.

I was just thinking it would be courteous to the student performing the survey to take steps to make sure the data isn't polluted. You don't have to.

I don't think we need to worry about that. The data is already corrupted by the methods. They are recruiting participants by explicitly telling them that it is a study about how religious belief's influence morality. Not only will that attract a non-representative sample, but it will lead people to give less honest and more strategic responses in order to make their religion look good.

They needed to be a vague as possible in the description without mentioning religion or morality. They should have said something like "The purpose of this study is to examine how people think about and react to various every day situations.", then collect people's moral interpretations first and their reported religious beliefs last. Religious beliefs are well released and largely factual reporting about oneself, like one's gender or ethnicity. Thus, they will be reported accurately even if they come after everything else. Whereas moral interpretations are subjective and in the moment applications of one's ethics that are highly influenced by context, such as the context of knowing that someone will be using your interpretation to make judgments about your religion.

 

[ronburgundy]

I was just thinking it would be courteous to the student performing the survey to take steps to make sure the data isn't polluted. You don't have to.

I don't think we need to worry about that. The data is already corrupted by the methods. They are recruiting participants by explicitly telling them that it is a study about how religious belief's influence morality. Not only will that attract a non-representative sample, but it will lead people to give less honest and more strategic responses in order to make their religion look good.

They needed to be as vague as possible in the description without mentioning religion or morality. They should have said something like "The purpose of this study is to examine how people think about and react to various every day situations.", then collect people's moral interpretations first and their reported religious beliefs last. Religious beliefs are well released rehearsed and largely factual reporting about oneself, like one's gender or ethnicity. Thus, they will be reported accurately even if they come after everything else. Whereas moral interpretations are subjective and in the moment applications of one's ethics that are highly influenced by context, such as the context of knowing that someone will be using your interpretation to make judgments about your religion.

Sorry, needed to correct a critical spell check error in my post. "Religious beliefs are well released" sounds like someone jacking off to their own piety.

Also, I should point out this is being done by an undergraduate with a faculty "supervising" but probably not really picking apart all the details. So, I don't want to make it seem like the guy is incompetent, even though these issues I raised are legit problems with interpreting the results.

 

[Angry Floof]

If you read the survey questions, it's obvious what they are asking. The description doesn't give anything away.

It's stuff like "would you do ___ in ___ situation". Kind of obvious what they're asking. Not sure what info in the description you all think is supposed to be introducing bias.

 

[fromderinside]

Like any other survey it measures your current mood and tendencies only. Results can justify any position.

 

[DrZoidberg]

I meditate daily. I put that down as praying. But then the following question is weird, "how effective do you think prayers are?". Well... very... because science.

 

[fromderinside]

I consider prayer as the tin cup of the unwashed. There's nothing in it.

 

[ronburgundy]

If you read the survey questions, it's obvious what they are asking. The description doesn't give anything away.

It's stuff like "would you do ___ in ___ situation". Kind of obvious what they're asking. Not sure what info in the description you all think is supposed to be introducing bias.

Asking people what they would do in a situation, doesn't make it clear and explicit that the point of the study is to compare the morality of different religions, which the description does.