Social attitudes survey

[bunn]

Here is a social attitudes survey, via huinare
I found this somewhat hilarious, because it kept asking questions in the form 'Our country' or 'We' without taking into account that the facts about'our country' or 'we' are going to be dramatically different depending on which country / 'we' is involved.

It concluded:
"Radicalism 72
Socialism 18.75
Tenderness 40.625

These scores indicate that you are a moderate progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a liberated atheist. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.

Your attitudes towards economics appear laissez-faire capitalist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as libertarian.

To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a centrist with few strong opinions."

I have few strong opinions! I am pretty sure that anyone who has met me for more than about 20 seconds would be somewhat amazed by this verdict. I think what they mean is, I can instantly come up with two diametrically-opposed scenarios for almost any question. The ratings for 'socialism' surprised me a bit too!

Comments

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

"Radicalism 74.75
Socialism 50
Tenderness 46.875

These scores indicate that you are a moderate progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a university professor. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.

Your attitudes towards economics appear neither committedly capitalist nor socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist.

To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a devoted egalitarian with several strong opinions.

This concludes our analysis; we hope you found your results accurate, useful, and interesting."

Deeply flawed, as is the justification (Hans Eysenck worked this out after a lifetime's research so it must be authoritative).

[bunn.livejournal.com]

It's quite sweet in a way - someone spent a lifetime on it, so it can't *possibly* be wrong... If only that were always true! :-D

I'm impressed by your magnificent exact-middle-of-the-road socialism!

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

I am more socialist than I am tender but more radical than both! Hm.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

Me:

"Radicalism 55.5
Socialism 0
Tenderness 40.625

These scores indicate that you are a moderate; this is the political profile one might associate with a jaded materialist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.

Your attitudes towards economics appear laissez-faire capitalist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as libertarian.

To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a centrist with few strong opinions."


It seems to be broadly closer for me.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Jaded Materialist!

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

I am a radical tenderhearted socialist-- 91, 87, 50. No surprises there. But, as with many such tests, i wished that the questions had been more detailed.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I think you are the tenderest AND most socialist result I've seen!

I tend to think of those things as not going together but I suppose that is because I immediately think of examples of situations where they haven't, rather than how they *should* be.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Your observation about "our" country is one that crossed my mind when I was doing this.

I have few strong opinions! I am pretty sure that anyone who has met me for more than about 20 seconds would be somewhat amazed by this verdict.

Ha. I'm thinking it might have to do with how frequently one picked the "agree/disagree strongly" options maybe? I agreed/disagreed stronly with a few of the options, and was told I had "a few" strong opinions.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think that's what they are going on, but that has to be a false indicator - it could only be accurate if the questions were phrased in such a way as to avoid 'it depends' answers, which they weren't - although I suspect if you were the quiz-setter, you would get fewer 'it depends' answers because the questions would be shaped around your own view of the world...

[purplecat]

Radicalism 94
Socialism 56.25
Tenderness 50

"These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a university professor."

Oops! Clearly I have reverted to type. It worries me slightly that I didn't think my answers were particularly radical - more wishy-washy liberal...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I think their definition of 'radical' is a bit odd. Still, 94 is an impressive degree of radicalisation!

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

I've come out as a radical tender socialist (91.25, 68.75, 59.375)

Hmmm. Does that mean I'm officially a socially permissive tree hugging hippy? How very cliched...