Correlated (3 page)

25%
of people find QR codes useful.

But among those who join in the Black Friday shopping frenzy,
44%
find QR codes useful.

----------------

46%
of people think fireworks displays are better when they're set to music.

But among those who join in the Black Friday shopping frenzy,
62%
think fireworks displays are better when they're set to music.

----------------

56%
of people would be more likely to be police officers than firefighters.

But among those who join in the Black Friday shopping frenzy,
70%
would be more likely to be police officers than firefighters.

You're extremely likely to join in the Black Friday shopping frenzy if you both:

• are more likely to sleep on your left side
  
• would rather host the Academy Awards than the Grammys
  

People who join in the Black Friday shopping frenzy are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• have collected unemployment
  
• think sunrise is more beautiful than sunset
  
• be content with their present financial situation
  

39%
of people have business cards.

But among those who have been on blind dates,
56%
have business cards.

----------------

38%
of people have been cheated on.

But among those who have been on blind dates,
54%
have been cheated on.

----------------

49%
of people prefer
Steven
over
Stephen
.

But among those who have been on blind dates,
65%
prefer
Steven
over
Stephen
.

You're extremely likely to have been on a blind date if you both:

• are a teacher
  
• have served as a best man or maid of honor
  

People who have been on blind dates are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• prefer sprinkles on their ice cream cones
  
• wash their own cars
  
• prefer cushioned toilet seats
  

21%
of people write poetry.

But among those who would rather be blind than deaf,
36%
write poetry.

----------------

32%
of people can play a stringed instrument.

But among those who would rather be blind than deaf,
47%
can play a stringed instrument.

----------------

75%
of people aren't picky about foods touching each other on their dinner plate.

But among those who would rather be blind than deaf,
88%
aren't picky about foods touching each other on their dinner plate.

You're extremely likely to prefer being blind to being deaf if you both:

• describe yourself as a good singer
  
• prefer
  okay
  over
  OK
  

People who would rather be blind than deaf are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• dislike their neighbors
  
• prefer ibuprofen to acetaminophen for minor pain
  
• like Jerry Seinfeld
  

42%
of people are afraid of heights.

But among those who are disturbed by the sight of blood,
57%
are afraid of heights.

----------------

64%
of people get more fired up about politics than about religion.

But among those who are disturbed by the sight of blood,
77%
get more fired up about politics than religion.

----------------

35%
of people have donated to a political campaign.

But among those who are disturbed by the sight of blood,
48%
have donated to a political campaign.

You're extremely likely to be disturbed by the sight of blood if you both:

• prefer little dogs to big dogs
  
• say that your ability to play sports is lower than your interest in sports
  

People who are disturbed by the sight of blood are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• like butter on their movie popcorn
  
• be up to date on their tetanus shots
  
• like spicy food
  

When the results of a poll are released, pollsters ordinarily include the margin of error (see page 7), which depends on a concept called
statistical confidence
.

Basically, the more confident you want to be in your results, the greater margin of error you need to allow.

For instance, suppose a poll of 1,000 people shows that 45% admire Teddy Roosevelt more than Franklin D. Roosevelt. Using a confidence level of 95%, we can determine that the margin of error is plus or minus 3%.

The confidence level of 95% means that if you were to repeat your poll 20 times, you would expect the results to fall within the margin of error in 19 of 20 cases (95% of the time).

Although pollsters ordinarily use a confidence level of 95%, it's possible to use other values, such as a more stringent 99%. In the example here, if you want to be 99% confident that your margin of error is wide enough, you'd need a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.

53%
of people like punk rock.

But among those with body piercings,
82%
like punk rock.

----------------

35%
of people get stressed about the holidays.

But among those with body piercings,
62%
get stressed about the holidays.

----------------

24%
of people have deployed a fire extinguisher.

But among those with body piercings,
50%
have deployed a fire extinguisher.

You're extremely likely to have body piercings if you both:

• have tattoos
  
• like heavy metal
  

People with body piercings are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• think it should be legal for two siblings to marry if they intend to not have children
  
• always tip a server, even when the service is poor
  
• like string cheese
  

52%
of people aren't easily startled.

But among those who are good at bowling,
66%
aren't easily startled.

----------------

28%
of people say their family considers them to be a black sheep.

But among those who are good at bowling, only
15%
say their family considers them to be a black sheep.

----------------

46%
of people are good tree climbers.

But among those who are good at bowling,
57%
are good tree climbers.

You're extremely likely to be good at bowling if you both:

• are a good Frisbee thrower
  
• don't have to have the last word in an argument
  

People who are good at bowling are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• like the smell of gasoline
  
• be bad dancers
  
• prefer giving family members funny greeting cards, rather than serious ones
  

32%
of people say they have a lot of Jewish friends.

But among those who have never boycotted a company, only
18%
say they have a lot of Jewish friends.

----------------

46%
of people are willing to pay more for organic foods.

But among those who have never boycotted a company, only
32%
are willing to pay more for organic foods.

----------------

57%
of people say they are more likely to clam up than talk too much when they're around someone they're attracted to.

But among those who have never boycotted a company,
70%
say they are more likely to clam up than talk too much when they're around someone they're attracted to.

You're extremely likely to have never boycotted a company if you both:

• don't get stressed about the holidays
  
• prefer Jake Gyllenhaal's movies to Maggie Gyllenhaal's
  

People who have never boycotted a company are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• understand HTML
  
• have friends who are mostly of the same sex
  
• have been thumb-suckers
  

45%
of people have ridden on a zip line.

But among those who have worn braces,
57%
have ridden on a zip line.

----------------

64%
of people think New Yorkers are cooler than Los Angelenos.

But among those who have worn braces,
75%
think New Yorkers are cooler than Los Angelenos.

----------------

72%
of people say they have lighter skin than others of their ethnicity.

But among those who have worn braces,
82%
say they have lighter skin than others of their ethnicity.

You're extremely likely to have worn braces if you both:

• like Bert more than Ernie
  
• think the government should stop conferring marriages, leaving that to private institutions, and issue only civil unions instead
  

People who have worn braces are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• have honked for a “Honk if you . . .” bumper sticker
  
• prefer multiflavored Slurpees over single-flavored Slurpees
  
• have attended private school
  

45%
of people have positive feelings about athletic scholarships.

But among those with a positive opinion about breast implants,
63%
have positive feelings about athletic scholarships.

----------------

33%
of people think the world would be worse off if people were 10% dumber but 20% kinder.

But among those with a positive opinion about breast implants,
48%
think the world would be worse off if people were 10% dumber but 20% kinder.

----------------

24%
of people have run a marathon, or are interested in running one.

But among those with a positive opinion about breast implants,
37%
have run a marathon, or are interested in running one.

You're extremely likely to have a positive opinion about breast implants if you both:

• consider yourself to have very little shame
  
• prefer to read white text on a black background more than black text on a white background
  

People with a positive opinion about breast implants are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• own flannel clothing
  
• have served as a best man or maid of honor
  
• be up to date on their tetanus shots
  

66%
of people enjoy role-playing games.

But among those who have broken a bone, only
56%
enjoy role-playing games.

----------------

24%
of people have posters on their bedroom wall.

But among those who have broken a bone, only
14%
have posters on their bedroom wall.

----------------

42%
of people carry around a pocketknife.

But among those who have broken a bone,
52%
carry around a pocketknife.

You're extremely likely to have broken a bone if you both:

• say you aren't a coward
  
• are a good Frisbee thrower
  

People who have broken a bone are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• apply antiperspirant at night, rather than in the morning
  
• regularly participate in sweepstakes and other giveaways
  
• like having their feet massaged
  

40%
of people think Joe Biden is more likely than the Obama girls to one day end up on a reality show.

But among those who bruise easily,
54%
think Joe Biden is more likely than the Obama girls to one day end up on a reality show.

----------------

35%
of people have read one of William Faulkner's works.

But among those who bruise easily,
47%
have read one of William Faulkner's works.

----------------

57%
of people describe their temperament as unflappable.

But among those who bruise easily, only
46%
describe their temperament as unflappable.

You're extremely likely to bruise easily if you both:

• would drink Tang only under duress
  
• like to use exclamation points!!!
  

People who bruise easily are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• dislike dishes that are seasoned with rosemary
  
• have been good sleepers when they were babies
  
• prefer trashy reality TV over inspirational and uplifting reality TV