Since I asked regular readers to fill out a survey, I've received over 300 responses. My own experience with these surveys is that about 50% of the total responses come within 24 hours. Next weekend I'll put up the .csv file with all the data, and present some of my analyses as well. But below the fold I've placed the raw frequency data if you are curious; there isn't likely to be any major changes in proportions with the next 300 respondents, and there weren't any great surprises. Here's a foretaste of weirdness in the survey data that I'll present next week. 66 respondents claimed they were Muslim or Christian. Of these, here are their attitudes toward the existence of God:
No Answer - 1.52%
Does Not Exist - 12.12%
Skeptical of Existence - 16.7%
Doubtful of Existence - 1.52%
Believe Existence Possible - 24.24%
Beliee Existence Probable - 18.18%
Know God Exists - 19.70%
No Opinion - 6.06%
For comparison, here is two GSS results for all Christians & Muslims on God:
Does Not Exist - 1.2%
Know God Exists - 70%
(For the record, of the 5 Muslims in the GNXP readership, only 1 knew God existed, and 3 were atheists or agnostics on the God question!)
| |
| How long have you been reading this/these weblogs(s)? |
|
N |
|
| No answer |
18 |
4.88% |
| Less than 1 month |
9 |
2.44% |
| 1-6 months |
39 |
10.57% |
| 6-12 months |
61 |
16.53% |
| 1-2 years |
101 |
27.37% |
| 3-4 years |
76 |
20.60% |
| 5+ years |
45 |
12.20% |
| Non completed |
20 |
5.42% |
|
| Sex |
|
|
|
| No answer |
12 |
3.25% |
| Male |
289 |
78.32% |
| Female |
41 |
11.11% |
| Non completed |
27 |
7.32% |
| |
| What are your politics? |
|
|
|
| No answer |
21 |
5.69% |
| Far Left |
18 |
4.88% |
| Left |
52 |
14.09% |
| Left of Center |
48 |
13.01% |
| Center |
29 |
7.86% |
| Right of Center |
28 |
7.59% |
| Right |
31 |
8.40% |
| Far Right |
15 |
4.07% |
| Libertarian |
65 |
17.62% |
| Other |
32 |
8.67% |
| Non completed |
30 |
8.13% |
| |
| Confidence in Existence of God |
|
|
|
| No answer |
16 |
4.34% |
| Does Not Exist |
148 |
40.11% |
| Skeptical of Existence |
74 |
20.05% |
| Doubtful of Existence |
16 |
4.34% |
| Believe Existence Possible |
31 |
8.40% |
| Believe Existence Probable |
18 |
4.88% |
| Know God Exists |
18 |
4.88% |
| No Opinion |
17 |
4.61% |
| Non completed |
31 |
8.40% |
| |
| Religious Orientation |
|
|
|
| No answer |
11 |
2.98% |
| Not Religious |
228 |
61.79% |
| Christian |
61 |
16.53% |
| Jewish |
14 |
3.79% |
| Muslim |
5 |
1.36% |
| Hindu |
5 |
1.36% |
| Buddhist |
2 |
0.54% |
| Other Beliefs |
10 |
2.71% |
| Non completed |
33 |
8.94% |
| |
| Where Do You Live? |
|
|
|
| No answer |
8 |
2.17% |
| USA & Canada |
235 |
63.69% |
| Latin America |
5 |
1.36% |
| Caribbean |
0 |
0 |
| Oceania (Australia, NZ + Pacific) |
15 |
4.07% |
| Southeast Asia (i.e., ASEAN) |
2 |
0.54% |
| East Asia |
11 |
2.98% |
| South Asia |
2 |
0.54% |
| Middle East + North Africa |
3 |
0.81% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa |
1 |
0.27% |
| Western Europe |
53 |
14.36% |
| Eastern Europe |
0 |
0 |
| Russia + CIS |
1 |
0.27% |
| Non completed |
33 |
8.94% |
| |
| Racial Identity |
|
|
|
| No answer |
12 |
3.25% |
| White/European |
268 |
72.63% |
| Black/African |
1 |
0.27% |
| East Asian |
14 |
3.79% |
| South Asian |
16 |
4.34% |
| Middle Eastern/North African |
2 |
0.54% |
| Southeast Asian |
3 |
0.81% |
| Mixed (Mestizo, multiracial, etc.) |
19 |
5.15% |
| Amerindian |
0 |
0 |
| Non completed |
34 |
9.21% |
| |
| Highest Educational Level Attained |
|
|
|
| No answer |
9 |
2.44% |
| Less Than Secondary |
2 |
0.54% |
| Secondary |
11 |
2.98% |
| Some Post-Secondary |
35 |
9.49% |
| University |
122 |
33.06% |
| Graduate |
155 |
42.01% |
| Non completed |
35 |
9.49% |
| |
| Socioeconomic Status |
|
|
|
| No answer |
17 |
4.61% |
| Lower Class |
14 |
3.79% |
| Lower Middle Class |
48 |
13.01% |
| Middle Class |
145 |
39.30% |
| Upper Middle Class |
99 |
26.83% |
| Upper Class |
10 |
2.71% |
| Non completed |
36 |
9.76% |
| |
| Age |
|
|
|
| No answer |
4 |
1.08% |
| Younger than 18 |
3 |
0.81% |
| 18-25 |
72 |
19.51% |
| 26-35 |
107 |
29.00% |
| 36-45 |
52 |
14.09% |
| 46-65 |
79 |
21.41% |
| 65+ |
16 |
4.34% |
| Non completed |
36 |
9.76% |
| |
| Highest Level of Math Completed |
|
|
|
| No answer |
23 |
6.23% |
| Pre-Algebra |
4 |
1.08% |
| Algebra |
7 |
1.90% |
| Geometry |
5 |
1.36% |
| Algebra II |
20 |
5.42% |
| Pre-Calculus |
26 |
7.05% |
| Calculus |
62 |
16.80% |
| Differential Equations |
30 |
8.13% |
| Linear Algebra |
29 |
7.86% |
| Multivariable Calculus |
38 |
10.30% |
| Higher than Multivariable Calculus |
56 |
15.18% |
| Have Math Degree |
33 |
8.94% |
| Non completed |
36 |
9.76% |
| |
| Opinions On The Singularity |
|
|
|
| No answer |
97 |
26.29% |
| Will Happen |
20 |
5.42% |
| Might Happen |
108 |
29.27% |
| Unlikely |
94 |
25.47% |
| Impossible |
14 |
3.79% |
| Non completed |
36 |
9.76% |
| |
| How Many Children Do You Have? |
|
|
|
| No answer |
5 |
1.36% |
| 0 |
212 |
57.45% |
| 1 |
40 |
10.84% |
| 2 |
40 |
10.84% |
| 3 |
24 |
6.50% |
| 4 |
9 |
2.44% |
| 5 |
1 |
0.27% |
| 6 |
0 |
0 |
| 7 |
0 |
0 |
| 8 |
0 |
0 |
| 9 |
0 |
0 |
| 10 |
0 |
0 |
| Lots |
1 |
0.27% |
| Non completed |
37 |
10.03% |
| |
| How Did You Find This Weblog? |
|
|
|
| No answer |
25 |
6.78% |
| Google |
45 |
12.20% |
| Other Search Engine |
0 |
0 |
| Instapundit |
7 |
1.90% |
| Steve Sailer |
47 |
12.74% |
| Scienceblogs |
59 |
15.99% |
| Andrew Sullivan |
4 |
1.08% |
| Message Board |
3 |
0.81% |
| Word Of Mouth |
15 |
4.07% |
| Email |
0 |
0 |
| Blogroll |
13 |
3.52% |
| Pointer From Another Weblog |
92 |
24.93% |
| Other |
18 |
4.88% |
| Non completed |
41 |
11.11% |
I didn't like some of the questions. In particular I was not happy with the math question. I was a math major so the answer was clear to me but it might not be obvious to someone of multivariable calc, linear algebra and differential equations which is intended to be the highest level. One can plausibly have independent courses in any of those subjects with little to no reliance on the others.
The singularity question was also annoying. I answered unlikely but for almost any more specific version I would have taken a more hardline anti-Singularity stance. The entire Singularity idea is frequently vague and ill-defined.
I'd be inclined to fill out this survey, but I don't remember doing it. I hope I didn't miss it because I am now using Google reader whereas formerly I visited gnxp directly.
For future surveys perhaps, could you split the "Religious Orientation" into 2 parts?
(1) Religion tradition you were born into. (Christian, Jew...)
(2) How religious are you? (Not religious, mildly religious, observant...)
Agree, the math question is very bad, in a number of math programs diff. eq. is above mutlivar and linear algebra, and linear algebra after multivar., you should perhaps group linear alg./mutlivar/diff. eq. as they are possible after calculus.
i rank ordered diff eq, linear algebra and multivar in terms of my perceived difficulty. as it happens, linear algebra is usually a more "advanced" course than multivar calc, but i think that's just an artifact as fewer need to take it (chemistry and physics graduates often need to take multivar).
My college used the sequence (1) linear algebra + multivar differentiation (2) multivariable integration (3) differential equations. With (2) being considered the most difficult and (3) being considered the easiest.
Looks like the usual over-educated, atheistic, under-familied audience that compose the intellectuals in North America. I found the politics question confusing: I'm an unreconstructed Platonist.
Good Lord! Two-thirds find the concept of the "singularity" sufficiently real to give it a non-zero probability? Will the next survey ask for our views on faster than light travel or immortality?
Perhaps the religious orientation choices should be expanded to include both post-adolescent readers of science fiction and students of libertarian economics so we really know where we stand theologically.
Where you live section should have contained a special option of 'Finland'.
There should be an option for Mormon under religion. I just put "other."
the survey should have come with an assortment of free coupons to local restaurants and it should have closed with an esteem-boosting complement about my superior math skills or race
rabble rabble rabble
You should put a "Can't remember" option for "How Did You Find This Weblog?". I've been reading GNXP for donkey's years and I haven't got a clue how I first found it.