Mori poll: Thailand ranks 7th in world "ignorant index" but US is number 5!

[HerbalEd]

5 hours ago, smedly said:

I think some people are confused about the literal meaning of ignorance, many assume it means to be rude - ill mannered etc

 

 

here is a sample of the literal meaning- lacking knowledge or awareness in general; uneducated

Your definition of ignorant is correct. However, many (most?) people think "ignorant" means stupid ... which it does not. 

 

Someone can be very intelligent and well educated, and yet still be ignorant of a particular subject. E.g. "He is very smart but he's ignorant about his own country's history. 

[wealthychef]

Ignorant of what exactly?  What did the poll test knowledge of?  From the article, it seems as if they were asking respondents how much they knew about their own country.   "Respondents were asked questions about population, public services, house buying and the number of Muslims among other things."  Odd way to define ignorance.  Of course most people don't know those things -- do they really matter that much?  

[aguy30]

The survey questions

International Perils of Perception 2016 Questionnaire from their website:

 

Q1. What do you think the current population of [country] is? By ‘population’, we mean all residents of [country] regardless of legal status or citizenship. Please give your answer to the nearest 1 million.

Q2. And what do you think the population of [country] is projected to be in 2050 by the United Nations? Please give your answer to the nearest 1 million.

Q3. Out of every 100 people in [country], about how many do you think are Muslim?

Q4. Now thinking about 2020, out of every 100 people in [country], about how many do you think will be Muslim?

Q5. What percentage of [country’s] total annual Gross Domestic Product (that is, the total value of all economic activity in [country]) do you think is spent on health expenditure each year? This includes public and private health expenditure. It covers the provision of health services (preventive and curative), family planning activities, nutrition activities and emergency aid for health, but does not include provision of water and sanitation.

Q6. Out of every 100 households in [country], how many are owned by someone who lives there? By ‘owned’, we mean owning the home outright or buying it with the help of a mortgage or other loan.

Q7. And what percentage of [country’s] total household wealth do you think the least wealthy 70% in [country] own? When thinking about wealth, we want you to think of the total value of everything someone owns (including their bank account, savings, property, stocks, shares… etc) minus any debt that they owe (like loans and mortgages).

Q8. Thinking about the upcoming US Presidential election, do you think that Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be elected as president?

Donald Trump

Hillary Clinton

Don’t know

 

SECTION 2: ATTITUDINAL QUESTIONS

 

Q9. Taking all things together, would you say you are:

Very happy

Rather happy

Not very happy

Not at all happy

Don’t know

Q10. When asked in a survey in [country], what percentage of people do you think said that, taking all things together, they are very happy or rather happy?

Q11. Do you personally believe that having an abortion is morally acceptable, morally unacceptable, or is it not a moral issue?

Morally acceptable

Morally unacceptable

Not a moral issue

Don’t know

Q12. When asked in a survey in [country], what percentage of people do you think said they personally believe that having an abortion is morally unacceptable?

Q13. Do you personally believe that homosexuality is morally acceptable, morally unacceptable, or is it not a moral issue?

Morally acceptable

Morally unacceptable

Not a moral issue

Don’t know

Q14. When asked in a survey in [country], what percentage of people do you think said they personally believe that homosexuality is morally unacceptable?

Q15. Do you personally believe that sex between unmarried adults is morally acceptable, morally unacceptable, or is it not a moral issue?

Morally acceptable

Morally unacceptable

Not a moral issue

Don’t know

Q16. When asked in a survey in [country], what percentage of people do you think said they personally believe that sex between unmarried adults is morally unacceptable?

[Tarteso]

Someone got the aswer about the ignorance long time ago;




Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[simonuk]

6 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Not sure if translation was the problem, but this is totally wrong.  From the MORI site:

https://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3664/perils-of-perception-2015.aspx

 

China ? One of the best informed nations ? Really ? They know nothing of tianemen square, or the famines that killed tens of millions , they think they won the second world war. Total bullshit.

[alex8912]

51 minutes ago, Grusa said:

I recently overheard an American speaking to an Australian.

"Gee honey!" she said, "What's it like to live on an island?"

 

?

Dude. If you kept your busy body nose into their conversation a little longer she was from Tasmania!!!  

[mrfill]

48 minutes ago, aguy30 said:

I have been to many countries and I plan to visit Great Britain. It is on my list, right after Afghanistan and Pakistan and just before Iraq.

 

Places to visit:

87 Afghanistan

88 Pakistan

89 Great Britain

90 Iraq

 

The country is called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or United Kingdom for brevity. It has been that way since the Act of Union in 1801, so I imagine you'll catch up quite soon as you emerge from your 18th century bubble.

[Maggusoil]

6 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Finally.............a poll that you can believe.  

 

Some people can believe anything. Sorry but what I know about Australians is that they would believe anything. Especially how brilliant they think they are. I wonder if they can figure out how their government sold areas of Australia out from under their feet bigger than most European countries and they didn't benefit from it?   Or how the government in front of their faces are allowing  a coal mine to destroy the Great Barrier Reef, and which is owned by a company in the Cayman Islands. Or how most of their "own" banks have their registered offices "offshore" haha 5555

In fact I find the Thais politically aware, which is why most things are cheaper in Thailand so their own poor can have a dignified existence.

Sure it may be a hard country and tough as nails and corruption, laziness and pure cowardice are rife, but I think these comparisons are missing huge ares of supposed understanding that are not really understood at all.

After the last two elections, most of the villagers in North Thailand that I spoke to had a very good grasp of who was paying who to stay on the top.

Not so in Australia. For Australians, corruption does not exist at the top. That's how deluded they are. "We" are, as I am one of them. However, at least I know what's going on. The big con. That's why the pollies always smile. Whether they'e supposedly "in power" or not. They couldn't give a rat's arse. They have their repective snouts in the trough and are making the average Aussie pay. And Pay. And Pay. And Pay.

[masuk]

6 hours ago, smutcakes said:

No great surprise to see the US where they are. A cursory glance at the US posters on TVF World News section sends alarming signals on the general level of mental aptitude of US citizens, and these are presumably part of the tiny % who have actually managed to negotiate leaving the country. Does not surprise that they show a similar level of ignorance within their own country.

National Geographic did a survey of USA  high schools some years ago, and it was amazing how poor the results were, based on geography.

 

Admittedly, the USA has a lot more states/provinces than many countries, but not being able to locate your own state on an unmarked map was surprising.

 

I'd probably have the same results if asked to name provinces in Thailand!

 

Indonesian students were pretty bad, and when I pinned a world map on the classroom wall, the students were all over it, as they assured me their classrooms didn't have such things.  Many were amazed to find that their country was right next to Australia.  Some thought Australia was close to the UK.

[aguy30]

5 minutes ago, mrfill said:

 

The country is called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or United Kingdom for brevity. It has been that way since the Act of Union in 1801, so I imagine you'll catch up quite soon as you emerge from your 18th century bubble.

I will try to care if the UK ever becomes relevant to my life.

United Kingdom -18th century - right!

Edited December 29, 2016 by aguy30

[thailand49]

I'm not surprise about U.S.  Here I watch Fox News Channel,  because there isn't much and for entertainment.  One segment called Jessie World?  He goes around the country and interview people and many times ask basic question about America past and present and it is laughable the answers he get.

[A1Str8]

The most important thing in life is not some useless knowledge about a place that is surrounded by imaginary lines called borders. There are things way more important. So who's the most ignorant, dear pollsters? Lol

[Sooo Upto Me]

6 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Finally.............a poll that you can believe.  

 

Not really,  I thought Thailand would be number 1

[johnhw]

6 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

I would think the size of a country had a huge impact, as well as how many are not natives.  The US has a very large immigrant population.  And is a very large country.  One end to the other is very diverse. 

Nice tap dance.

And lets not forget the argument presented recently by another of the usual TV philosophers here, who brilliantly pointed out that statistics can and are manipulated. I'd bet the farm that he'd unquestionately accept and confirm the Thai section of this study, but argue the "obvious" gerrymandering of the U.S. figure.     

[Caca4u]

Trump president that settles it for the US in 5th place

[hotchilli]

They may have computers & smartphones but that doesn't always equate to an increase in knowledge...
99% usage in Thailand is to chase pokemons, take selfies, record what they're about to eat on social media, video fights 

and dating sites!!

[gdgbb]

7 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Not sure if translation was the problem, but this is totally wrong.  From the MORI site:

https://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3664/perils-of-perception-2015.aspx

 

 

Take a look at the technical notes accompanying 'your' poll, on your own link, different numbers of countries (Thailand not even included), different numbers of individuals surveyed, clearly a different survey.   Are you are an American by any chance?

[wandasloan]

7 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Not sure if translation was the problem, but this is totally wrong.  From the MORI site:

https://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3664/perils-of-perception-2015.aspx

 

 

 

NO, this is wrong.The OP is about the 2016 poll, and it is accurate.

 

 

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, thailand49 said:

I'm not surprise about U.S.  Here I watch Fox News Channel,  because there isn't much and for entertainment.  One segment called Jessie World?  He goes around the country and interview people and many times ask basic question about America past and present and it is laughable the answers he get.

I've seen the same thing from many different countries.  People don't really know very basic stuff.  Sad, really.  But not specific to just the US.

[craigt3365]

11 minutes ago, gdgbb said:

 

Take a look at the technical notes accompanying 'your' poll, on your own link, different numbers of countries (Thailand not even included), different numbers of individuals surveyed, clearly a different survey.   Are you are an American by any chance?

That's my concern.  It's the same poll, run by the same company.  Why the dramatically different results from year to year???

[gdgbb]

Just now, craigt3365 said:

That's my concern.  It's the same poll, run by the same company.  Why the dramatically different results from year to year???

 

It's not the same poll, Thailand was not even included in the poll that you link to, explain that.

Explain also the different numbers of countries surveyed and the different numbers of those interviewed.

No need to clarify whether you are American or not, though.

[jamhar]

Another pointless debate over suspect data. 

 

I'm going out to hit some golf balls instead.

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

Common knowledge that the Brits are close to the world,s smartest ! British by birth, English by the grace of God :)

Your fiddling the phantom again. Hail Brittania and all that rot old boy. 

[starky]

5 hours ago, robblok said:

It was totally expected that the Dutch would rank nr 1, we are of course the master race    just joking I wonder what kind of test this was.

Yeah your from the master race. Even the cheese eating surrender monkeys the french didnt fold as quickly as you clowns

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, johnhw said:

Nice tap dance.

And lets not forget the argument presented recently by another of the usual TV philosophers here, who brilliantly pointed out that statistics can and are manipulated. I'd bet the farm that he'd unquestionately accept and confirm the Thai section of this study, but argue the "obvious" gerrymandering of the U.S. figure.     

I never mentioned anything about Thailand.  Just about the basics of this poll.  But yes, it's really easy to lie and cheat with statistics.  That was the title of a chapter of my stats book in college.  Loved that chapter.

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, HerbalEd said:

And yet Singapore, which is a tiny country, and a very new country, and is supposedly well educated, did terribly also. 

 

Also, the USA going from 24th to 5th in one year makes the whole thing very suspect. Not because the USA did poorly ... that's not my point ... but because of such a huge change in only one year. 

 

 

Good point.  A country that has many different cultures.  India, Malaysia, China, etc.  Could explain a lot.

[JulietLima]

First of all, "ignorant index" should be written "IGNORANCE INDEX".

[Mansell]

If you want some entertainment at Americans expense....go to Jay Leno's Jay Walking on YouTube. Absolutely staggering at the ignorence these people show.

Like, "Who attacked Pearl Harbor?" Russia....the Germans.

"What countries border the USA?" France....and a few other European Countries mentioned.

he was standing outside an Astonomy University asking the students questions....they couldn't even name the Planets.....Duh!

of course it is an indictment of the American education system.

[bimmerbob]

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss!

Some of these polls are stupid.

How about a poll for common sense?

[Jackin1960]

8 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

The US went from 24th to 5th in a year?  Really? LOL 

 

Houston, we have a problem. LOL

I got to say most Americans I have met don't know much about there country. I have often asked them questions like "who owns the Federal Reserve" and I am often told very mater of factly that it is Federal so it belongs to the United States Government. So yep "Houston we have a problem".