Opinions

Opinions in survey research can be defined as subjective attitudes, beliefs, or judgments that reflect matters of personal (subjective) preference. Some opinions may not be confirmable or deniable by factual evidence (e.g. a person's attitude toward the use of capital punishment), whereas others may be (e.g. the belief that a particular presidential candidate will be elected). Moreover, the strength of one's opinions may depend on one's level of knowledge or attentive-ness on a subject.

The term opinion is often used interchangeably with attitude and belief, but opinions are a broader category that includes both attitudes and beliefs. One's subjective position on the truth of a subject is a belief, such as whether global warming is the result of human-made activity or if abstinence education lowers the ...