Important Topics of Recent Conversations
QUESTIONS USED IN THIS STUDY Please think about the last conversation you had with a close friend or relative about something that is really important to you PERSONALLY. Which of the following subjects did you discuss: [NOTE: Random Order Administration] 1. Finding or keeping a job? <1> Discussed <2> Did not discuss 2. Getting satisfaction or fulfillment from your job? 3. Wanting a better job? 4. A health problem affecting someone close to you, including drug or alcohol abuse or mental health? 5. Saving money for the future? 6. Keeping your marriage, family, or other important relationship together? 7. Religion, or your religious faith? 8. Who our next president will be? 9. Local property taxes? 10. Caring for an elderly, disabled, or sick relative or friend? ********************************* ANALYSIS: RECENT TOPICS OF CONVERSATION What are People Talking About? In addition to asking citizens about the most important problems facing New Hampshire and the country, respondents were asked about the last conversation they had with a close friend or relative about something that is really important to them personally. These results are summarized in TABLE 1. As shown, nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents said they had discussed saving money for the future during a recent conversation. These results suggest that financial planning is a major topic of conversation for most people. Just over one-half (54%) of respondents said they talked about local property taxes. These personal financial topics mirror people's perception that taxes, the economy, and unemployment are the most important problems facing New Hampshire. Keeping an important personal relationship together (44%) is also a common topic of conversation. Many people also report discussing the need to provide care for an elderly, disabled, or sick friend or relative (44%). Job satisfaction (42%), job security (i.e., finding or keeping a job) (38%), and wanting a new job (36%) are also common topics of conversation with intimates. Notice that few people (27%) have discussed who the next president will be, suggesting that politics is a relatively infrequent discussion topic among close friends and relatives. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Variations Among Sub-Groups TABLE 2 through TABLE 21 compare results for each question by age and income. While the results do show some variation based on gender, education and idealogy, the most striking differences show up when the results are compared among young and old, and low- and high-income respondents. Notice, for example, that saving money for the future is a more common topic of discussion among young people [TABLE 2]. Among those age 18-30, 83 percent say they discussed saving money for the future with a close friend or relative during a recent conversation, compared to only 43 percent of those over age 60. (A chi-square of .05 or less indicates a difference which is statistically significant). Interestingly, though, saving money for the future is not a topic which varies in frequency based on income [TABLE 3]. ******************************************************************* ------------------------------------------------------------------- RESULTS TABLE 1 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION WITH CLOSE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES Discussed Not Recently Discussed Total Saving money for the future 65% 35 100% Local property taxes 54% 46 100% Keeping a marriage, family, or other important relationship together 44% 56 100% Caring for an elderly, disabled, or sick relative or friend 44% 56 100% A health problem affecting someone close to you 42% 58 100% Getting satisfaction or fulfill- ment from your job 42% 58 100% Finding or keeping a job 38% 62 100% Wanting a better job 36% 64 100% Religion, or religious faith 34% 66 100% Who the next president will be 27% 73 100% CASES = 512 _________________________________________________________________ TABLE 2 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: SAVING MONEY FOR THE FUTURE COMPARED BY AGE 18-30 31-45 46-60 61+ Discussed 83% 71% 68% 43% Not Discussed 17 29 32 57 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (88) (187) (117) (112) Chi-Square: < .01 ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 3 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: SAVING MONEY FOR THE FUTURE COMPARED BY INCOME Less $20K $20-$40K $40-$60K Over $60K Discussed 61% 69% 73% 68% Not Discussed 39 31 27 32 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (57) (165) (95) (101) Chi-Square: Not Sig. ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 4 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES COMPARED BY AGE 18-30 31-45 46-60 61+ Discussed 32% 59% 62% 55% Not Discussed 68 41 38 45 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (88) (187) (117) (112) Chi-Square: < .01 ------------------------------------------------------------------ TABLE 5 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES COMPARED BY INCOME Less $20K $20-$40K $40-$60K Over $60K Discussed 53% 54% 59% 60% Not Discussed 47 46 41 40 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (57) (165) (95) (101) Chi-Square: Not Sig. ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 6 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: KEEPING IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS TOGETHER COMPARED BY AGE 18-30 31-45 46-60 61+ Discussed 57% 43% 40% 42% Not Discussed 43 57 60 58 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (88) (187) (117) (112) Chi-Square: Not Sig. ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 7 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: KEEPING IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS TOGETHER COMPARED BY INCOME Less $20K $20-$40K $40-$60K Over $60K Discussed 53% 53% 32% 44% Not Discussed 47 47 68 56 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (57) (165) (95) (101) Chi-Square: < .05 ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 8 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: CARING FOR AN ELDERLY FRIEND OR RELATIVE COMPARED BY AGE 18-30 31-45 46-60 61+ Discussed 39% 44% 49% 43% Not Discussed 61 56 51 57 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (88) (187) (117) (112) Chi-Square: Not Sig. ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 9 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: CARING FOR AN ELDERLY FRIEND OR RELATIVE COMPARED BY INCOME Less $20K $20-$40K $40-$60K Over $60K Discussed 40% 50% 44% 38% Not Discussed 60 50 56 62 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (57) (165) (95) (101) Chi-Square: Not Sig. ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 10 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: HEALTH PROBLEM AFFECTING SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU COMPARED BY AGE 18-30 31-45 46-60 61+ Discussed 35% 48% 44% 37% Not Discussed 65 52 56 63 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (88) (187) (117) (112) Chi-Square: Not Sig. ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 11 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: HEALTH PROBLEM AFFECTING SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU COMPARED BY INCOME Less $20K $20-$40K $40-$60K Over $60K Discussed 42% 45% 41% 41% Not Discussed 58 55 59 59 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (57) (165) (95) (101) Chi-Square: Not Sig. ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 12 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: GETTING SATISFACTION OR FULFILLMENT FROM YOUR JOB COMPARED BY AGE 18-30 31-45 46-60 61+ Discussed 52% 52% 44% 13% Not Discussed 48 48 56 87 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (88) (187) (117) (112) Chi-Square: < .01 ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 13 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: GETTING SATISFACTION OR FULFILLMENT FROM YOUR JOB COMPARED BY INCOME Less $20K $20-$40K $40-$60K Over $60K Discussed 25% 44% 57% 43% Not Discussed 75 56 43 57 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (57) (165) (95) (101) Chi-Square: < .05 ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 14 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: FINDING OR KEEPING A JOB COMPARED BY AGE 18-30 31-45 46-60 61+ Discussed 47% 49% 37% 13% Not Discussed 53 51 63 87 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (88) (187) (117) (112) Chi-Square: < .01 ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 15 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: FINDING OR KEEPING A JOB COMPARED BY INCOME Less $20K $20-$40K $40-$60K Over $60K Discussed 28% 42% 40% 36% Not Discussed 72 58 60 64 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (57) (165) (95) (101) Chi-Square: Not Sig. ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 16 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: WANTING A BETTER JOB COMPARED BY AGE 18-30 31-45 46-60 61+ Discussed 53% 44% 39% 6% Not Discussed 47 56 61 94 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (88) (187) (117) (112) Chi-Square: < .01 ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 17 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: WANTING A BETTER JOB COMPARED BY INCOME Less $20K $20-$40K $40-$60K Over $60K Discussed 42% 38% 39% 34% Not Discussed 58 62 61 66 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (57) (165) (95) (101) Chi-Square: Not Sig. ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 18 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: RELIGION COMPARED BY AGE 18-30 31-45 46-60 61+ Discussed 27% 31% 39% 40% Not Discussed 73 69 61 60 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (88) (187) (117) (112) Chi-Square: < .05 ------------------------------------------------------------------ TABLE 19 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: RELIGION COMPARED BY INCOME Less $20K $20-$40K $40-$60K Over $60K Discussed 40% 37% 31% 27% Not Discussed 60 63 69 73 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (57) (165) (95) (101) Chi-Square: < .05 ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 20 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: WHO THE NEXT PRESIDENT WILL BE COMPARED BY AGE 18-30 31-45 46-60 61+ Discussed 19% 21% 33% 37% Not Discussed 81 79 67 63 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (88) (187) (117) (112) Chi-Square: < .05 ------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 21 TOPICS OF RECENT CONVERSATION: WHO THE NEXT PRESIDENT WILL BE COMPARED BY INCOME Less $20K $20-$40K $40-$60K Over $60K Discussed 21% 27% 23% 32% Not Discussed 79 73 77 68 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% CASES (57) (165) (95) (101) Chi-Square: Not Sig. ------------------------------------------------------------------- METHODOLOGY The results of this report are based on a telephone survey conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. The survey was administered June 7-14, 1995 and includes complete responses from 512 adults (age 18 or older). The maximum margin of error for the sample of 512 respondents is +/- 4.3 percent. That means, in theory, in 19 time out of 20, the results found in the sample will differ by no more than plus or minus 4.3 percent from what would have been obtained by interviewing the entire adult population of New Hampshire. The data were collected using a Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system, which allows responses to be entered directly into a computerized database as interviews are conducted. A central polling facility in Hood House on the Durham Campus of UNH was used to administer the survey. All surveys were conducted by paid, trained, and professionally supervised interviewers. A probabilistic technique was used to select respondents. The sample of telephone numbers was chosen randomly from a complete set of telephone directories servicing the entire state of New Hampshire. Telephone numbers were taken from each directory in proportion to the number of residential household units serviced by each directly. A constant was added to the selected numbers to ensure that both listed and unlisted numbers were included in the sample. The result of this procedure is a probabilistic sample of all households with telephones in the state of New Hampshire. In addition to sampling error, the practical difficulties of conducting any survey of public opinion will introduce other sources of error into the poll.
This survey addresses topics of recent conversations that the citizens of New Hampshire felt were particularly important topics. Included in this section is questiosn asked, results, and analysis provided by the SUrvey Center. Additional demographic data is provided here as well.
This poll was administered by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center on June 7-14, 1995. The section below contains the question as asked in the poll, the summary analysis, the numerical results and the methodology. All of this material is made available to NH-Primary through Voter's Voice and is a product of the UNH Survey Center.