Monday, January 28, 2013

Spring 2013: Episode One

PHC Surveyor  Results

HIGHLIGHTS:

1) Which professor is most likely to be elected Pope?  We posit that this question, unlike others in our survey, has THREE and only three correct answers.  First: Dr. Montgomery, because he believes in his own infallibility.  Second: Dr. Chodakiewicz, because he is the only Catholic.  Third: Dr. Kucks, because he says “mass” more than any other professor.  In our survey, 26.5% of responses were for Dr. Montgomery, 12.9% for Dr. Chodakiewicz, and 1.2% for Dr. Kucks.

2&3) 63% of respondents have read Pride & Prejudice.  Unsurprisingly, women are twice as likely to have read Pride & Prejudice than men.  40% of respondents prefered the 5hr BBC movie adaption, while 34% prefered the shorter Universal version with Keira Knightley.

Those who have read Pride & Prejudice strongly prefer the 5hr BBC production, while students who have partially read the book prefer the 2005 Keira Knightley movie.  Students who have not read the book do not like either movie.  (If you want to celebrate the 200th Anniversary with the largest number of friends, you are going to have to reserve that dorm lounge for a long time!)

4) 22% of students self-identify as members of College Republicans, while 9% are unsure.  Compare this to CRs numbers submitted to the Senate last fall, which claimed approximately 35% of the student body as members.  Are you a member, and don’t know it?  (Freshmen are more likely to self-identify as members than any other class.)

5)  36% of respondents frequently catch typos when they read the Herald.  Only 16% never see typos in the Harold.

We wondered whether girls who think J-majors are the handsomest guys were more likely to overlook typos in the Herald, or more likely to be critical in their approach.  In fact, girls who think J-majors are the handsomest came closer to the average than any other single major.  Girls who like Lit majors are most likely to find typos (100% find typos “Very often”), and girls who like SI majors are least likely to find typos (33.3% never find typos).

6)  Only 72% of respondents gave a categorically non-racist answer to the sibling marriage question.  

7)  57% of respondents call the conflict “The Civil War,” 21% said “The War Between the States,” 14% said “The War of Northern Aggression,” and only 7.2% used the U.S. Department of Defense’s official name, “The War of the Southern Rebellion.”

63% of the categorically non-racist answers also called the conflict “The Civil War.”  Respondents who were willing to make a categorically prejudiced answer to the sibling marriage question were also the most likely to give a radical answer (“War of Northern Aggression” or “War of the Southern Rebellion”) to the conflict question.

8)  63.9% of respondents answered “Unsure” to who is the President of the PHC Alumni Association.  12.2% of students were unaware that John Vinci has retired as a highly-respected Alumni Association president.  15.1% knew that Daniel Noa was recently elected to serve as the new President.  Maybe the Alumni Association will want to find new ways to increase communication with students?  

But then again, only 42.9% of alumni who took our survey correctly knew Noa is the new President.  Maybe the Alumni Association will want to find new ways to increase communication with alumni?

Other answers we received from students included:  Jenna Lorence, Jonathan Carden, and Sarah Pride.

9)  42% of guys believe heels improve a woman’s appearance.  Only 17% believe heels detract from a woman’s appearance.

Alumni are most likely to say heels improve a woman’s appearance, followed by the Senior class, then the Sophomores classes, with Juniors and Freshmen last.  Sophomores are most likely to say heels detract from a woman’s appearance.

10)  Which major do campus girls believe is home to the handsomest guys?  23% of women say Political Theory.  APP and SI tie for second at 15% each.  Overall, more than 75% of ladies chose a government major.

Respondent Data:
Total Responses: 166
Male: 79
Female: 85
Freshman: 22
Sophomore: 46
Junior: 40
Senior: 48
Alumnus: 8

Graphs:



















































































































































































































































































































































































Monday, October 29, 2012

October Special Results

Here they are! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Conclusions

  • Dr. Spinney is the man in black: He can out-fence Inigo, out-wrestle Fezzik, out-think Vizzini, and lead a army of rag-tag humans against the zombie hordes!
    • Notable write-ins:
    • "SUPREME CHANCELLOR FARRIS, armed with a crimson-bladed lightsaber and all the powers of the Dark Side . . . accompanied by his loyal apprentice, Darth Spena."
    • "Dr. Spinney! Brains and brawn combined in one epic human body likes of which has not been seen since Hercules. The zombis basic instincs would be to flee rather than face the man who makes Chuck Noris shiver in his boots and Bruce Lee cry like a little girl."
    • My personal favorite: "Dr. Walker in a stovepipe hat." ;)
    • P.S. And whoever wrote the three paragraph diatribe on how the question's basic premise is faulty, thanks, you made me smile :)
  • PHC students like variety. A pretty significant plurality choose swirl as their soft serve ice cream of choice.
    • I was actually shocked to see a greater percentage of guys like chocolate than girls. 0.o
  • A majority of campus thinks that PHC students are generally tidy or at least average in cleanliness.
    • Girls were more likely to think of the average PHC as tidy than guys. Good job guys, we've got them convinced that we're not quite the slobs we think we are. ;)
    • Seniors and Freshman think we are the least tidy. Sophomores and Juniors think we are the most tidy.
  • Nearly half of campus has never been in a relationship. Less than 25% have been in two or more relationships.
    • Guys are nearly 10% more likely to have been in a relationship than girls.
    • The sophomore class is the least likely to have been in a relationship with 70% answering "Never." The next closest class is the Freshman with 47%.
    • People who start conversations are 10%-17% more likely to have been in a relationship than someone who enjoys the peace and quiet or waits for someone else to start a conversation.
    • Of the guys who ask girls out based on common interests, only 13% have never been in relationships. Of those who want to know life goals and character traits, 55% have never been in a relationship.
    • Students who want to work in politics are 20% more likely to have been in at least one relationship.
  • Almost half of campus will start a conversation if the group gets quiet. Luckily, that means that statistically, if you don't want to start the conversation, the other person will. ;)
    • Guys are more likely to start a conversation in a group that gets quiet than girls. I find this interesting given that girls tend to be more verbal than guys. *shrug*
    • Seniors are the most likely to start a conversation. Freshmen are the least likely to enjoy the silence, and the most likely to endure the awkwardness. 
  • Most likely RA's: Katie Tipton, Will Thetford, Megan Fabling, and Stephen Gibbs.
    • Twenty-three people declined to answer this question and a few made comments about it being a "popularity contest." I apologize if this question came across as a popularity contest :-/ It wasn't meant to be. Good news is that out of 132 people who took the survey, 54 juniors/sophomores were nominated, which means that if everyone in school voted and that ratio held true, nearly every junior and sophomore would have been mentioned. So I guess you are all pretty popular ;)
  • By a significant margin, the Liberty Ball is considered to have the most romantic implications. I think it's Derek Archer's fault ;)
    • Note to anyone getting any ideas :-P This survey does NOT mean that taking someone to the Liberty Ball, etc. automatically is romantic. We are are adults who are going to communicate with the opposite sex, right? Yes, we are. *nods head wisely* :-P
    • (But guys, if you do have a choice between proposing at the Christmas Ball or the Liberty Ball, this survey shows that the Liberty Ball is generally considered more appropriate ;) )
    • Random data entry fact: For the purpose of this survey, I counted fill in answers "Valentine's Dance" with the Sadie Hawkins because the Sadie Hawkins grew out of the Valentine's Dance. As an FYI, about one-quarter of the Sadie Hawkins votes were "Valentine's Dance" votes.
  • A majority of campus skips Halloween :-( Maybe I just have fond memories of dressing up as a cowboy, but I think the rest of y'all must have lived deprived childhoods :-P ;)
    • Guys are more likely than girls to protest Halloween as evil, but also more likely to be completely fine with Halloween. Girls are more likely to celebrate a halloween alternative.
    • Upperclassmen are more likely to just skip Halloween than underclassman.
  • By a close margin, girls are most likely to approach guys they like by simply living out their normal lives and waiting for the guy to initiate. 
    • Not so surprisingly, guys are much more likely to wish that girls would actively pursue friendships with guys they like. :-P
    • BTW, guys, this survey isn't for you to figure out whether that one girl likes you or not. Statistics can only identify probabilities, and this survey is far from scientific. The best way for you to find that out is to follow these steps here. ;)
  • More than 60% of guys want to learn a girl's life goals/character traits before asking her out. Forty-eight percent of girls think this is the right approach.
    • Only 24% of guys are willing to ask a girl out based only on common interests. For girls, 44% thought this was the right approach.
  • Overall, a majority of students think politics is important, should be discussed, and/or want to work in politics.
    • Guys are significantly more likely to think politics is important than girls.
    • Freshman and Juniors are more likely to think politics is important than Sophomores and Seniors.
    • One and only one representative from each class voted in this survey (4 total) that they protest and refuse to take part in the political process.

That's all! Enjoy the results.

October Special Results
Dr. Mitchell – 11.4% (15)
Professor Russell – 12.9% (17)
Dr. Spinney – 32.6% (43)

Chocolate – 18.9% (25)
Vanilla – 23.5% (31)
Swirl – 41.7% (55)
I skip the soft serve – 15.9% (21)

We aren't great, but overall we're decently tidy – 34.8% (46)
We're about average for a group of American adults – 21.2% (28)
Most on campus are fine, but a few small groups bring the whole campus as "below average" – 29.5% (39)
Ehh...we have some issues (especially those guys in [insert dorm here]) – 10.6% (14)
Face it guys, we're slobs. – 3.8% (5)

Never – 47.7% (63)
Once – 29.5% (39)
Twice – 15.2% (20)
Three times – 5.3% (7)
Four or more times – 2.3% (3)

Something is wrong, I try to introduce a conversation topic. – 45.5% (60)
Finally! I just sit back and enjoy the peace. – 27.3% (36)
Okay, this is awkward, that’s my cue to leave. – 0.8% (1)
It’s a bit awkward, I’ll just occupy myself with a book/computer/etc. until someone starts up a conversation. – 26.5% (35)

Megan Fabling – 6.1% (8)
Will Thetford – 6.1% (8)
Stephen Gibbs – 6.1% (8)
Katie Tipton – 11.4% (15)

Christmas Ball – 14.4% (19)
Sadie Hawkins – 12.1% (16)
Liberty Ball – 65.9% (87)
Other – 7.6% (10)

Definitely! It’s all in good fun. – 16.7% (22)
Yes, but no ghosts or witches. – 9.8% (13)
I’ll celebrate a halloween alternative, usually involving candy and dressing up. – 16.7% (22)
I generally just skip Halloween. – 43.9% (58)
Halloween is evil, I purposefully avoid it. – 12.9% (17)
I am in a relationship. I hang out with him, duh. ;) – 19.1% (13)
I actively try to pursue a friendship with him specifically, but it’s his job if he wants to pursue anything romantically. – 20.6% (14)
I try to hang out in his general friends circles, but don’t single him out specifically - that’s his job. – 14.7% (10)
I live out my normal life. If he likes me, he will pursue. – 22.1% (15)
There are no guys that I like. – 8.8% (6)
I don’t mean to, but I get really awkward when he’s around and sometimes ignore/avoid him. :/ – 13.2% (9)
I ask him out on a date :-P – 1.5% (1)


All I know is that she’s attractive :-P Finding out the rest is what dating/courting is for! – 4.8% (3)
I want to make sure we have a couple common interests. Having a couple date ideas that we’d both enjoy never hurts ;) – 23.8% (15)
I want to know her life goals and observe her character traits. If I don’t know if we have compatible goals, what’s the point of dating/courting? – 60.3% (38)
When I ask to start a relationship, unless something completely unexpected comes up, I’m pretty sure at that point that I want to marry her. – 11.1% (7)


I protest and refuse to take part in the political process. – 3.0% (4)
I vote, but otherwise try to avoid it as much as possible. – 19.7% (26)
I follow politics generally, but I prefer not to discuss it with others. – 20.5% (27)
I think it is important to be politically engaged and discuss/debate politics. – 37.1% (49)
I want to work in politics. – 19.7% (26)

Demographic Information
Total Participants in Survey: 132 

Participants in Demographic data: 100% (132)
  • Male: 48% (64) 
  • Female: 52% (68) 
  • Freshman: 13% (17) 
  • Sophomore: 36% (48) 
  • Junior: 20% (26) 
  • Senior: 23% (30) 
  • Alumnus: 7% (9) 
Other results distributed by demographic: