Part I: Conduct and Analyze Your Pilot Survey

Instructions: Before conducting a large survey to study people's beliefs and opinions, researchers utilize a pilot survey (a trial run) to test and improve their survey format. You will use the provided survey sheet to conduct a pilot survey of 10 persons. You will report and analyze your results below.

(1) Conduct Your Survey and Report Your Results: Print 10 copies of the Pilot Survey Sheet and ask 10 different people to make one mark per statement indicating whether they strongly agree, somewhat agree, are unsure, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree with the statement about an pseudoarchaeological (or archaeological) topic and then, for each topic, write a brief statement for how they came to that belief. Have each person record his/her answers anonymously and be sure not to say anything that might sway her/his answers. After you have surveyed 10 people, count up the number of marks in each box and record the numbers in the table below.

(2) Identify trends: Review the above results from your pilot and identify three interesting trends that you observe in your data. This will require you to both look at the data you tabulated in the previous step and the "reasons" given by your respondents for their beliefs.

a. Trend #1. Describe one trend from your pilot data. For full credit, please write 1-2 complete sentences and provide specific details from your data.

Example: The majority of individuals surveyed (8/10, 80%) strongly disagree with the statement ‘There once existed a race of human giants'. Most people (7/10, 70%) came to this belief based on their own personal experience rather than any particular external resource (book, documentary, etc.).

b. Trend #2. Describe a second trend from your pilot data. For full credit, please write 1-2 complete sentences and provide specific details from your data.

c. Trend #3. Describe a third trend from your pilot data. For full credit, please write 1-2 complete sentences and provide specific details from your data.

(3) Construct hypotheses: For each of the three trends you identified above, write a hypothesis, a statement that you could test by conducting a similar survey with a much larger sample of respondents.

a. Hypothesis #1. Write a hypothesis for a larger survey using your observed Trend #1 above.
Example: A relatively small proportion of the general public believes in the existence of prehistoric human giants.

b. Hypothesis #2. Write a hypothesis for a larger survey using your observed Trend #2 above.

c. Hypothesis #3. Write a hypothesis for a larger survey using your observed Trend #3 above.

(4) Make predictions: For each of the three hypotheses you constructed, make a prediction that you would expect to observe in a larger survey of the general public.

a. Prediction for Hypothesis #1. Make one prediction you would expect if you were to test your first hypothesis above. Note: write your prediction as an "if..., then..." statement. The example below should be used as a guide only. Please come up with your own prediction and write it in your own words.
Example: If a relatively small proportion of the general public believes in the existence of prehistoric human giants, then I expect that less than 20% of individuals will state that they strongly agree, somewhat agree, or are unsure about Statement 7 in the survey.

b. Prediction for Hypothesis #2. Make one prediction you would expect if you were to test your second hypothesis above.

c. Prediction for Hypothesis #3. Make one prediction you would expect if you were to test your third hypothesis above.

(5) What surprised you the most about the results of your pilot survey? How do your respondents' answers compare to your own feelings and beliefs about these statements? For full credit, please write 2-4 complete sentences.

(6) Brainstorm three ideas for improving the survey. You may want to consider the wording, order, or topics of the statements; the number and type of answer choices; or additional types of information about your respondents that might be useful to collect; among other factors.

a. Idea #1 for improving the survey. Describe one way that the survey might be changed and how that change would be an improvement.

b. Idea #2 for improving the survey. Describe one way that the survey might be changed and how that change would be an improvement.

c. Idea #3 for improving the survey. Describe one way that the survey might be changed and how that change would be an improvement.

(7) Brainstorm two ideas for ways that the large-scale administration of this survey (with your suggested improvements) could be used to help researchers identify and improve public understanding of archaeology.

a. Idea #1. Describe one way that the survey could help researchers identify and improve public understanding of archaeology.

b. Idea #2. Describe a second way that the survey could help researchers identify and improve public understanding of archaeology.

Attachment:- assignment.zip