[extropy-chat] survey on fringe ideas: evolution

[Joseph Bloch]

M.B. Baumeister wrote:

>>Can you see a difference between asking
>>
>>"Do you believe in:
>>
>>a) creation
>>b) evolution
>>c) neither
>>d) both "
>>
>>and
>>
>>"Which do you think is true :
>>
>>a) creation
>>b) evolution
>>c) neither
>>d) both "
>>
>>?
>>
>>    
>>
>
>Huh? Believe? As in Take On Faith? Or *think*, as in Use Your Brain. Have
>an opinion.
>
>Using the word "believe" that way is just sloppy language custom. It
>reminds me of writings on science which talk about "design" - but they do
>NOT mean designed by anybody/anything. We've not got the words figured out
>yet. IMHO.
>
>Regards,
>MB
>  
>

Speaking as a professional opinion pollster (and no, I'm not kidding; I 
work for the largest pollster in the US, and the one which was the most 
accurate during the 2004 elections), I can agree 100% with MB.

My company employs exactly the same standard. We do not use the word 
"believe" unless we are specifically talking about religion. It's not 
only a loaded term, but the meaning is fuzzy, and respectable pollsters 
want to be as precise as possible. We use "think" in that context.

Joseph