Research Project


Thu, 2 Mar 1995 16:18:52 GMT

If you aren't interested in the art of literary communication
and don't have 15-20 minutes to help us (that is, you and me)
begin to understand the power of words, please stop reading.

As part of an academic project studying the relative strength of
animals as literary symbols, I constructed this telephone survey
for use in my home town of
Buffalo, NY and its suburbs. I'd appreciate it if anyone outside
of Buffalo would like to:

1. Read it over and comment on its construction, and/or

2. actually respond to the questions. If you opt to do this
(brave soul), I ask two additional favors:
a. Please include your geographic area in your response (if
it's not in your signature file), and
b. answer all the questions as quickly as possible without
going back to look them over and/or change them. I'm
looking for gut-level responses.

Please mail responses and/or comments to:
bb112@freenet.buffalo.edu

Thanks a mil,
Adam.
__________________________________________________________________
VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS: This survey is designed to find out how
people think about certain kinds of words.
Although many of the questions deal with
literature and history, it's not meant to
test your knowledge. 'No opinion' or 'I don't
know' is a perfectly okay answer. The most
important thing is that you give the first
answer that comes into your head.

The first couple questions are intended to
help us get a good cross-section of people.

1. AGE, to nearest 10 years:
2. SEX:
3. ETHNICITY:
4. RELIGION:
5. What's the most frightening animal?
6. What animal is most like President Clinton?
7. What is the most attractive animal?
8. What animal would you find in an abandoned shed?
9. What animal is most like Bob Dole?
10. What animal do you associate with Russia?
11. Name one thing that the Mythical Hercules did.
12. What animal is most like Hitler?
13. What animal would you find in a jungle?
14. Name one animal you remember from a poem.
15. What animal is most like Genghis Khan?
16. What animal would you find in a sewer?
17. What's the cleverest animal?
18. Name one animal beginning with the letter "s."
19. What animal is most like human beings?
20. What animal would you find in a desert?
21. What animal is least like human beings?
22. What animal would you most like to be?
23. What animal would you find in a zoo?
24. What animal would you least like to be?
25. What animal is most like God?
26. What animal would you find in a basement?
27. What animal is the strongest?
28. What animal do you associate with America?
29. What animal do you associate with China?
30. What animal do you associate with England?
31. What animal do you associate with Iran?
32. Name one animal you remember from a story at church.
33. What animal do you associate with Cuba?
34. What animal is most like Newt Gingrich?
35. Name one animal you remember from a book.
36. What animal is most like Anthony Masiello?
37. What animal do you associate with Israel?
38. What animal is most like Saddam Huesein?
39. Name one animal you remember from a movie.
40. What animal is most like the Devil?
41. Name one animal you remember from a TV show.
42. Name one animal you remember from a kid's cartoon.
43. What's the scariest mythological creature?
44. What animal is most like George Pataki?
45. What animal would you find in a barn?
46. What animal is most like George Washington?
47. What animal would you find in a forest?
48. What's the most important thing that happened in the Garden of
Eden?
49. Name a mythological monster.

----
(For the following, all you need answer is 1, 2 or 3; or a, b, c -
- assuming the FINITE RESPONSES go in numerical or alphabetical
order from left to right.)

50. Would you rather wear SNEAKERS, LEATHER BOOTS or NEITHER?
51. Which kind of movement is more threatening: CREEP, SLITHER or
NEITHER?
52. Do you feel POSITIVE, NEGATIVE or NEUTRAL about abandoned
sheds?
53. Do you feel POSITIVE, NEGATIVE or NEUTRAL about jungles?
54. Would you rather be bitten by a SPIDER, a SNAKE, or NEITHER?
55. Would you rather have a PET WART-HOG, a PET WEASEL, or
NEITHER?
56. Was George Washington more like a WOLF, a RATTLESNAKE or
NEITHER?
57. Do you feel POSITIVE, NEGATIVE or NEUTRAL about sewers?
58. At the zoo, would you rather go visit the BEARS, the BIRDS, or
NEITHER?
59. Which word is scarier: CLAW, FANG or NEITHER?
60. Do you feel POSITIVE, NEGATIVE or NEUTRAL about basements?
61. Do you feel POSITIVE, NEGATIVE or NEUTRAL about barns?
62. Was Hitler more like a BEAR, a PANTHER, or NEITHER?
63. What sounds more deadly: POISON, SWORD, or NEITHER?
64. Was Genghis Kahn more like a WOLF, a LION, or NEITHER?
65. Do you feel POSITIVE, NEGATIVE or NEUTRAL about forests?
66. Do you feel POSITIVE, NEGATIVE or NEUTRAL about zoos?
67. Which mythological creature is scarier: a TROLL, a DRAGON or
NEITHER?
68. Which word is scarier: TOOTH, CLAW or NEITHER?
69. Would you rather have a PET WEASEL, a PET ANACONDA or NEITHER?
70. Was George Washington more like a BEAR, a WOLF or NEITHER?
71. At the zoo, would you rather go into the MONKEY HOUSE, the
REPTILE HOUSE or NEITHER?
72. Would you rather be bitten by a RACCOON, a SPIDER, or NEITHER?
73. Would you rather wear LEATHER BOOTS, SNAKESKIN BOOTS or
NEITHER?
74. Was Hitler more like a VIPER, a PANTHER or NEITHER?
75. Which kind of movement is more threatening: CHARGE, CREEP or
NEITHER?
76. Was Genghis Kahn more like a LION, an ANACONDA or NEITHER?
77. What sounds more deadly: VENOM, POISON or NEITHER?
78. Which mythological creature is scarier: a GOBLIN, a TOLL or
NEITHER?
79. Which sound is more threatening: HISS, GROWL or NEITHER?
80. Which sound is more threatening: GROWL, BARK or NEITHER?
81. Do you feel POSITIVE, NEGATIVE or NEUTRAL about deserts?
82. What kinds of words is this survey designed to find out about?

Thanks for the time. Let me know if you'd like to see the
study's t
-- strike that --
the results.

-- 
Heidi and Adam Wolff
Elma, NY   *   bb112@freenet.buffalo.edu