Values surveys at Higher Level: At HL, treat a survey as evidence to test, not a fact to repeat: who was asked, how, and whether behaviour agrees.
Practise this as you read
- Question the sample and the wording.
- Test the ratings against what people did.
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Asking the whole bay: Before the resort vote, a university team asks 300 people in Coral Bay to rate statements from 1 to 5.
They are running a values survey: measuring how a group of people, not one person, sees the resort plan.
Choose
- Fishers, hotel staff and families
Ask
- Statements rated 1 to 5
Read
- Which group ranks what highest
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Design decides whether the results can be trusted.
Every side heard
- Statements for jobs and for mangroves.
Strength, not just yes
- A 1 to 5 scale shows how much people care.
The right people
- Fishers and hotel staff, in fair numbers.
Loaded
- Should greedy developers be allowed to destroy our mangroves?
Neutral
- The mangroves should stay, even if the resort is not built. (1 to 5)
Compare groups: Split the ratings by job to see how fishers and hotel staff differ.
Part of the results, as % who agree:
| Statement | Fishers | Hotel staff |
|---|---|---|
| The resort will bring the bay good jobs | 22% | 84% |
| The mangroves must be kept | 91% | 38% |
Reading it
- Hotel staff rank jobs highest.
- Fishers rank the mangroves highest.
- Where someone works predicts their view.
Handle with care: A small or one-sided sample distorts results, and people may say what they think the researcher wants.
Know your predicted grade
Take timed mock exams and get detailed feedback on every answer. See exactly where you're losing marks.
Ratings record intentions. Behaviour is the test.
In the survey
- 65% of the bay: the mangroves must be kept.
In practice
- The council approved the clearing.
- Few people objected at the hearing.
Say versus do: When actions match the ratings, the values are shaping choices. When they do not, ask what outweighs them: jobs, money or convenience.
How this comes up: Survey results plus a record of what a place did: do the actions reflect the values?
In a survey, 64% of a coastal nation's people said the ocean matters more than tourism growth. Over ten years the nation created three marine reserves and banned bottom trawling, but hotel beds on its coast doubled and its mangrove area fell by 12%. Discuss whether the nation's actions reflect these values.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
The trap: Summarising the survey instead of testing it. Pair every figure with an action.