Poll: An exploration into poll psychology

[Condor219]

Pick an option, any option. I'm wondering if there's a possible discrepancy between poll options for no other reason than its place on the list.

As for discussion value, what are your reactions to the current results? What are your predictions? If something like this has been done before, what happened?

Edit: Numbers taken off. Thank you, first few people, this is better. Also, dang, one certain option has a ridiculous lead.

 

[Lukeje]

Your bias will be upset by the fact that people see some numbers as more `random' than others. This is why I predict that 3 will be the most picked number (though my observation will actually skew the results away from 3 now I've said it).

If you just wanted to judge position you should have left all the options blank.

 

[tigermilk]

Its a shame people can see the results before voting/offering predictions.

I read somewhere some years ago that two is the number most likely to be picked when people are asked to pick a number between one and four.

Also apparently seven is the number most likely to occur in peoples pin numbers (four digit code to use an ATM with a bank/credit card).

 

[Cheesus333]

My favourite number is three.

See username for further evidence.

Also apparently seven is the number most likely to occur in peoples pin numbers (four digit code to use an ATM with a bank/credit card).

For some reason, I feel clever now >

 

[Biosophilogical]

Pick an option, any option. I'm wondering if there's a possible discrepancy between poll options for no other reason than its place on the list.

As for discussion value, what are your reactions to the current results? What are your predictions? If something like this has been done before, what happened?

The problem with this is participant awareness. Some people will be one-step thinkers, two-step thinkers, three-step, etc. So part of the results will be preferential numbers, part will be people trying to pick the non-preferred numbers, and others will be destructively trying to correct the imbalance of the former two types. Then of course there are people who will just troll by knowing what the most popular number is and deliberately picking that to screw with the poll.

OT: Number popularity aside, I don't like 1, 3 only applies to fairy tales and superstitious luck, 2 feels too right, so I'm going with 4.

 

[SillyBear]

I knew 1 and 2 would be the least voted for. (They were both on 1 whilst 3 and 4 were on 2 and 3). It's the same with public bathrooms. The first toilet is always the cleanest!

 

[Totenkopf]

I picked 3 (looked nice to me) and I was actually surprised that it was the most-voted (40% at the time I'm writing this).
I thought most people would pick the beginning or end, 1 or 4.

 

[ace_of_something]

I picked three because three is fun to yell. 'TTTHHHHRRRRREEEE!!!'

 

[mionic]

I picked 3. Not surprised about everyone choosing it. It´s a very useful number...

 

[BlueberryMUNCH]

I chose two, for the reason that in the song I was listening to, the lyrics at the time of voting were 'ding ding'.

...so yeah xD FLAWLESS LOGIC. Surprised more people didn't choose it o.o

 

[mad825]

This doesn't make a good psychological study...if it was one.

 

[Condor219]

This doesn't make a good psychological study...if it was one.

Nah, I was just curious what would happen.

 

[Xanadu84]

For what its worth, the fact that you tell people what you are doing will skew the results. If people just picked one, the first and last might be highest, but if you tell people what your doing, people might try to pick the one they think is least likely to be picked. It's called expectancy bias.

 

[Hungry Donner]

I've seen this done a few times with four entries, I believe three was in the lead for all of them. I know I've also seen this done with three entries and I can't remember who won that.

 

[Owlslayer]

Wow, this is actually showing something interesting. Though to be honesty, i didn't really vote unbiased, cause i read the second post, and that made me steer away from the third poll opinion...
So yeah, i almost selected the second, but in the very last moment decided to go with 4 cause it's the very last number, and a pretty cool one, too.

 

[jprf]

It's showing normal distribution at the moment. Interesting.

 

[Condor219]

For what its worth, the fact that you tell people what you are doing will skew the results. If people just picked one, the first and last might be highest, but if you tell people what your doing, people might try to pick the one they think is least likely to be picked. It's called expectancy bias.

Factoring that in, the results are interesting. Would the poll have been the exact inverse had this been done without clear intentions? Clearly something to be tested.[small][sub]For Science![/sub][/small]

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Seen this thread before, and it's the same result: Three is most chosen, followed by two.

Me, I voted two.

 

[Xanadu84]

For what its worth, the fact that you tell people what you are doing will skew the results. If people just picked one, the first and last might be highest, but if you tell people what your doing, people might try to pick the one they think is least likely to be picked. It's called expectancy bias.

Factoring that in, the results are interesting. Would the poll have been the exact inverse had this been done without clear intentions? Clearly something to be tested.[small][sub]For Science![/sub][/small]

Ah, but that same expectancy bias means that the subsequent pool would be filled with people who are once again subject to the expectancy bias, and if you went to another website, then the differences in demographics and presentation would leave you with no internal validity.

(My degree is in Psychology, I can be led into a rant like this.)

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

This would be a better study if you couldn't see the results before you voted. I didn't look at them until after I'd voted, but still, there are people who would look at it, which would influence the choice. So does (in theory) mentioning any specific option ovr another, but that would really be determined by those who looked at the results first, and voted for another one based on your reaction to it.

Psychology is kind of annoying sometimes, but I enjoyed the classes of it that I did take.

As for my vote, I simply voted the third one because three's my lucky number and there was no observable difference between the answers. Had the answers been numbered, I'd have voted the same way. Had I had knowledge of the results before voting, it probably wouldn't have effected my choice.