On the (f)utility of polls/surveys ....

[eppur_se_muova]

... MGM did a survey, and learned that 85 percent of everyone questioned on whether they'd like to see a movie called Movers and Shakers with our stars in it said they would. That was very high. Later, they did another survey that revealed that about 70 percent of the people questioned had no idea what "movers and shakers" meant. But we stayed with it. Since 70 percent of the people questioned didn't know what it meant, let me define it here. Movers and shakers are the people who get big things done in the world; and, since our movers and shakers didn't get anything done, it was an ironic title. I later learned that 75 percent of all people questioned didn't know what "ironic" meant.

-- from Charles Grodin, It would be so nice if you weren't here ... (Vintage Books, 1989)

[NJCher]

1. I used to work in

Market research. I can totally believe this. However, in a gold standard firm, they test this and find ways of phrasing to help the outcome.

Charles Grodin: great sense of humor.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. A city was considering a large mass transit project and polled drivers

They asked if they put in the project, would you use it. They got a large positive.

After building it and getting disappointing usage, they ran another poll. They found that people had answered positively in the hope that it would be built and all the other drivers would use it to make the roads less congested for them.

[Auggie]

3. Remember this late night talk show question?

Most people responded negatively when asked if they liked "Obamacare" but responded positively to the "Affordable Care Act."

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Or that's the futility of film makers thinking their titles are important

I think those surveyed didn't think about the title, because it didn't mean much to them. Since it sounds like they were also told who the stars were, they were probably basing it on that. Still not a great way to judge a movie, but better than by the title. It's almost as if there's a proverb about judging a work of art by something superficial, isn't it?