tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post1611368347037586438..comments2023-10-14T09:40:06.690-05:00Comments on Jean Kazez: Survey on the Good and Meaningful LifeJean Kazezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00592593002719828153noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-82044906776189507302012-11-07T11:36:26.201-06:002012-11-07T11:36:26.201-06:00Thanks for all the comments and for participating ...Thanks for all the comments and for participating in the survey. I'm closing comments now because I really do think it's pointless discussing the methodology of a survey if you don't know what its goal was or how it was constructed. As I said in the update, I will explain in a few weeks.Jean Kazezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06297159994901018071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-2318660843238879742012-11-05T09:41:46.423-06:002012-11-05T09:41:46.423-06:00I'll say that my answers on the various "...I'll say that my answers on the various "X's life can't be going entirely well" vs "It's quite possible X's life is going very well" were biased against the "Impossible" vs "Probable" separation, which may have been intentional (ie a probability of 0 is infinitely less likely to occur in reality than a probability of 0.9, even if I'dAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-87908368765410284362012-11-05T09:26:19.608-06:002012-11-05T09:26:19.608-06:00Gus, I beg to differ. I think what I'm asking ...Gus, I beg to differ. I think what I'm asking the participant to do is just follow the normal rules of communication. If someone tells you a brief anecdote, it's simply a normal communicative rule that key relevant elements are to be included, so absence of an element means it wasn't there. If I tell you a little story about an incident at a Starbucks, and I don't mention the Jean Kazezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06297159994901018071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-10803272226173358822012-11-05T09:11:06.845-06:002012-11-05T09:11:06.845-06:00OK, I accepted that this was the kind of forced ch...OK, I accepted that this was the kind of forced choice survey that I hate and went ahead with it, hoping it will help you with your project, and I tried to answer the best I could, even when I had huge problems with the questions and the answers. Then I read your response to a commenter saying they were reading it in the wrong spirit. That, to me, is a huge problem. If you wanted us to make the Gus Snarpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-28234361602157866122012-11-04T18:38:42.071-06:002012-11-04T18:38:42.071-06:00Eric, Nerdypants, Thank you! Everyone needs to jus...Eric, Nerdypants, Thank you! Everyone needs to just come back later and see what the point was. Only then can we have a discussion about whether the questions and answers were well-stated.Jean Kazezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06297159994901018071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-78315421061227477052012-11-04T17:10:19.550-06:002012-11-04T17:10:19.550-06:00Jesus Brian, you're "now questioning her ...Jesus Brian, you're "now questioning her motives"? What the hell kind of diabolical plot is it to write an online survey for an undergrad class with less-than-perfect questions? <br /><br />"Mwa ha ha!", laughed Prof. Jean maniacally, "Now these results will be Somewhat Ambiguous!".<br /><br />And the rest of you, seriously, why's everyone so freaking nerdypantsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-88997884800829187222012-11-04T16:47:15.195-06:002012-11-04T16:47:15.195-06:00@Brian: Survey answers are *always* suspect, since...@Brian: Survey answers are *always* suspect, since as Jean explained above allowing a non-commital option would also introduce 'dishonest' answers. <br />Forced choice is a common concept in surveys and there's plenty of literature available on the advantages and disadvantages of using forced choice answer categories. To suggest that a researcher may be acting dishonest or unethical Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-85249987916722294502012-11-04T15:53:28.910-06:002012-11-04T15:53:28.910-06:00@Jean: But that's just it: You don't know ...@Jean: But that's just it: You don't know who is answering legitimately and who is answering falsely due to being forced to make a choice, especially since you specifically said to *not* skip any questions. Thus, the entire question's results are suspect since there is no way to distinguish between honest and dishonest answers. It makes me want to retract my entire submission since, Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15912326969576886255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-4559927142793149612012-11-04T12:05:11.931-06:002012-11-04T12:05:11.931-06:00There was relevant-to-me information missing in so...There was relevant-to-me information missing in some of the questions, particularly the one about Angela and pain medication. Maybe you are trying to study what kinds of answers people give when they are irritated by being forced to answer questions without all the essential information and reminded that "hey, society doesn't give a fuck about women's consent most of the time anyway&Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-20613637404262873192012-11-04T08:08:38.912-06:002012-11-04T08:08:38.912-06:00Unknown, Darn, wish we'd included an orgasmatr...Unknown, Darn, wish we'd included an orgasmatron question!<br /><br />DanDare, The survey will be "open" for the whole month of November. I should have a post here about it on December 1.Jean Kazezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06297159994901018071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-12010639550165743002012-11-04T08:04:21.189-06:002012-11-04T08:04:21.189-06:00When can we see the result and know what conclusio...When can we see the result and know what conclusions you draw?DanDarehttp://scienceworksmagazine.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-55405053685487247912012-11-03T11:04:10.090-05:002012-11-03T11:04:10.090-05:00Despite Miles Monroe's enthusiastic support of...Despite Miles Monroe's enthusiastic support of the Orgasmatron in Sleeper, I've seen The Matrix. The Experience Machine is definitely not a good thing!Graemehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18211284298378156784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-6007267354859693872012-11-03T08:52:26.832-05:002012-11-03T08:52:26.832-05:00nerdypants, thank you!
Everyone--please read the ...nerdypants, thank you!<br /><br />Everyone--please read the comment policy before leaving a comment. Also, read previous comments and my replies. Jean Kazezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06297159994901018071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-36310576236362846442012-11-03T08:08:35.823-05:002012-11-03T08:08:35.823-05:00to most of the questions, I want to ask a counter-...to most of the questions, I want to ask a counter-question:<br /><br />in the eyes of who? the person the little story is about? everyone else? me? 'philosophers'?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-90042025464891807602012-11-03T02:22:38.498-05:002012-11-03T02:22:38.498-05:00This was such an interesting quiz, thank you for w...This was such an interesting quiz, thank you for writing it. I'll definitely bookmark and check back later for the "reveal" and to find out what the research question was all about.nerdypantsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-46675307464930828432012-11-02T23:17:56.012-05:002012-11-02T23:17:56.012-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Woonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-60474491427147793872012-11-02T20:18:00.801-05:002012-11-02T20:18:00.801-05:00Brian, Tricky issue. The way I see it, if I allow ...Brian, Tricky issue. The way I see it, if I allow "tie" as an answer, two groups of people will opt for it. (1) People who find it attractive because it's non-comittal and quick and (2) people who, after serious reflection, really think "tie". I think there are vastly more people in the first category than in the second. So having "tie" as an option will reduceJean Kazezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06297159994901018071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-85212279388150909842012-11-02T20:08:28.414-05:002012-11-02T20:08:28.414-05:00Mr Lynne, We are doing an experiment here, essenti...Mr Lynne, We are doing an experiment here, essentially, and doing it right prevents me from telling you exactly why we phrased questions as we did. Jean Kazezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06297159994901018071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-36820082294297032492012-11-02T20:08:26.020-05:002012-11-02T20:08:26.020-05:00Mr Lynne, We are doing an experiment here, essenti...Mr Lynne, We are doing an experiment here, essentially, and doing it right prevents me from telling you exactly why we phrased questions as we did. Jean Kazezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06297159994901018071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-78954817970402042932012-11-02T19:40:31.385-05:002012-11-02T19:40:31.385-05:00Question 16 cannot be answered if one does not thi...Question 16 cannot be answered if one does not think that either approach is superior. There needs to be an option that allows for both approaches being just as good. In the first few questions, the options were split between "definitely bad" and "possibly good." That attitude needs to be replicated here. Because the details of the life were so vague, one can reasonably claim Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15912326969576886255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-23719355830978713382012-11-02T19:02:18.090-05:002012-11-02T19:02:18.090-05:00If this is a good example of philosophy I thank th...If this is a good example of philosophy I thank the great atheist that I am no philosopher.<br /><br />Internally inconsistent and externally irrelevant. Good tag for PhilosophyWoljahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11348704071338851274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-9514876946922427572012-11-02T18:58:28.210-05:002012-11-02T18:58:28.210-05:00I think I dispute that I got all the relevant fact...I think I dispute that I got all the relevant facts for the questions about pain and drugs that reduce it. The reductions were expressed in percentages - but percentage of what? Only knowing there would be a reduction but not knowing more about the 'amount' of that reduction makes it impossible to weigh the relative value of diminished awareness and diminished pain.<br /><br />Also, theMr. Lynnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-15273695497942543612012-11-02T17:12:44.065-05:002012-11-02T17:12:44.065-05:00During the Sisyphus questions the multiple choice ...During the Sisyphus questions the multiple choice answers suddenly change from asking about "meaningfulness" to asking to judge whether Sisyphus would have "a good life". I presumed that I wasn't supposed to take these as equivalent.<br /><br />The meaning of "meaningfulness" of life is, of course, very subjective. So is "what would count as a good life"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-63772927888378735242012-11-02T16:44:56.751-05:002012-11-02T16:44:56.751-05:00I never liked or understood forced choice question...I never liked or understood forced choice questions. Would you rather read a book or watch a movie? Well, depends on the book and movie. I absolutely do not have a generic preference. In the case of this set of questions my answer is often neither of the above, either because their is a third better answer, or because the choices provided make no sense, or the scenario provided is nonsensical, soAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-4442378822334350132012-11-02T15:35:14.217-05:002012-11-02T15:35:14.217-05:00Anon, I think you're not reading these scenari...Anon, I think you're not reading these scenarios in the right spirit. The implicit idea is that you're being given all the facts that are relevant. If Maggie's Gambling was hurting her family, you would be told so. You weren't told so, therefore you should assume they aren't being hurt. Likewise in the pain case, if the reduction in pain medication would hasten the patient'Jean Kazezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06297159994901018071noreply@blogger.com