and they asked teenage boys
who want to look hard in front of their mates.

I'd love to know why it never seems to occur to people who do these surveys that everyone in the world, to a greater or lesser degree, lies to make themselves seem cooler/more interesting/more attractive to the opposite sex.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 4 Jul 2005, 10:31, archived)

Researchers reveal
6 out of 10 boys between 14 and 16 have had sex with Angelina Jolie, and she loved it.

Police are currently questioning Ms Jolie.
( Flapjack I spay a little mare for you, Mon 4 Jul 2005, 10:34, archived)

Whereas only 3 out of 10 boys in Santa Maria
claim to have slept with Michael Jackson.
( Johnny Catfish - Yowsa!, Mon 4 Jul 2005, 10:42, archived)

That risk
is very much reduced if data is collected by self response, confidential questionnaires, for example. My concern about truthfulness would be less than my concerns about sampling or definitions.
( Dekazer, Mon 4 Jul 2005, 10:35, archived)

In most cases
I agree with you. But not where teenagers are concerned. doesn't matter that it is confidential self response, they'll lie, especially the boys. It's one of the founding principles of the universe...
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 4 Jul 2005, 10:37, archived)

I really disagree
I work on a youth crime study, and we've triangulated results sufficiently to let us conclude that our lot are enormously truthful.

It all depends on your methods - not on the truthfulness or otherwise of young people.
( Dekazer, Mon 4 Jul 2005, 10:39, archived)

Tie them to a chair, and give them the rubber hose treatment, until they confess?
Or just interpret the data in such a way that "I carry an AK-47, and lead the East Cheam Massive on regular crime sprees" becomes "I stay at home and play far too much X-box"?

Either way, I salute your dedication to the truth!
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Mon 4 Jul 2005, 10:48, archived)

well, this is your area,
so I'll bow to you on this one. :P
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 4 Jul 2005, 10:57, archived)

Yep.
Same thing when they survey young people on their sexual habits - invariably, you come away with the impression that they're all at it, all of the time, when a little common sense should remind you that teenage boys will always lie when it comes to sex.

Muppets.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Mon 4 Jul 2005, 10:35, archived)