Title: Poll on Doubt of Holocaust Is Corrected Authors: By Michael R. Kagay Sour

Question

Title: Poll on Doubt of Holocaust Is Corrected Authors: By Michael R. Kagay

Source: New York Times, July 8, 1994 http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/08/us/poll-on-doubt-of-holocaust-is-corrected.html

Just how important is question wording in a survey? A mixed-up Roper poll in 1992 makes the answer clear. While this happened a long time ago, it remains as one of the most sobering examples of how seriously we have to take non-sampling errors. In the article referenced above, a fatal flaw in the original poll is discussed and those first results are compared with the results of a corrected followup poll. Please access this article and answer the following questions.

Questions 1. What was the exact wording of the question asked in the original 1992 poll, and what percentage of those surveyed suggested said it was possible the Nazi extermination of the Jews never happened?

2. What was the problem with the original question and how was that problem corrected in the follow-up poll?

Explanation / Answer

1.

The question asked in 1992 survey was whether the Holocaust had happened or not. The exact wording of this question is "Does it seem possible or does it seem impossible to you that the Nazi extermination of the Jews never happened?"

The 22 percent of those surveyed said it was possible that the Nazi examination of the jews never happened.

2. The problem with original question was the double negation used in the question. The original question was "Does it seem possible or does it seem impossible to you that the Nazi extermination of the Jews never happened?" This double negation used in the question confused the people. Many may have given answer just opposite of what they meant.

This problem is solved by refraiming the question in new poll as "Does it seem possible to you that the Nazi extermination of the Jews never happened, or do you feel certain that it happened?"

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