This questionnaire was inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement, about which citizens have opinions that range widely from pro to con. This study seeks opinions of all citizens on both sides of the controversy. It hopes to provide objective information that can inform the movement and the community in general. It gives citizens an opportunity to express their opinions about community and national problems. In a small way, it is an attempt to measure the “common good”. The core content for the first half of the questionnaire was gleaned by one of the primary researchers at a committee meeting of Occupy Eugene (Oregon) at which participants voiced their primary goals for the movement. The content for the second half seeks demographic and other data about childhood, employment, income and other issues to put opinion data in perspective.
The questionnaire was developed primarily by William McConochie, Ph.D., of Political Psychology Research. Bill is a Eugene psychologist in private practice who studies citizen attitudes related to political issues broadly defined. Two students of the University of Oregon, Jamil Jonna, Ph.D. candidate, and Alicia Markus, Sociology/ History undergraduate, have assisted in the construction and administration of this study. Jamil is a local organizer with an interest in social movements and political economy, specifically unemployment. Alicia is also involved in local political and social movements, and is committed to understanding the ideologies/ memes that compose the American frame of mind at this moment in history. We all see this Occupy movement as an important and timely opportunity to ask citizens what they want from their governments, and in so doing we hope to gain a vision of what priorities are important to them.
A copy of the study findings will be made available to participants, as by an article published on the principal investigator’s site, Politicalpsychologyresearch.com. The questionnaire data will be shared with the Occupy organization and with the wider community to help everyone understand their movement. Dr. McConochie will be available to lecture on the study findings to groups who participate in the study. To find out more about the researcher, Dr. McConochie, including his background, his work in psychology, media about his previous lectures, and documents about previous studies, visit his website at
politicalpsychologyresearch.com.
This study is NOT expected or intended to cause you discomfort or confusion. If you have questions or concerns, or if you would like to request more information about this research project, you can contact the primary researcher, Bill McConochie, at 541-686-9934 or
Bill@politicalpsychologyresearch.com.
If you are completing this survey for a class in school, your instructor may have certain expectations of you to earn class credit for participating. Otherwise, you don’t have to participate in this study. You can discontinue it at any time without adverse consequences.
If you choose to participate, please answer items honestly so your data will be meaningful and useful for the study. A wide range of participants will be key in helping this study to accurately reflect the citizens' voice, so we invite all to respond and we greatly appreciate your contributions.
