Methodology

About the Survey

The 2013 Social Change Impact Report was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Walden University between April 9 and May 8, 2013, among a total 9,097 adults within Brazil (1,010 adults ages 18–59), Canada (1,010 adults ages 18 and older), China (1,010 adults ages 18–60), Germany (1,013 adults ages 16 and older), India (1,008 adults ages 18–64), Jordan (1,005 adults ages 18 and older), Mexico (1,021 adults ages 18–64), and the U.S. (2,020 adults ages 18 and older). Data for each country were weighted to the general or online population within each country.

Details on data collection and the weighting of data for each country are provided below.

Data for each individual country is representative of that country. The “Average Result” is the arithmetic average across the countries. This measure does not account for differences in population size and thus is not representative.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult populations of the respective countries. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About the Segmentation Analysis and the “What kind of social change agent are you?” Quiz

In order to better understand the people who are involved in positive social change and their reasons for involvement, an in-depth segmentation analysis was conducted to examine how the interaction among individuals’ attitudes about social change, involvement in social change activities, their social change motivations and personal demographic characteristics lead to distinctive profiles of social change agents in different countries across the globe. The analysis utilized a statistical technique called predictive segmentation. In order to be able to examine segments that are common across all countries, the initial analysis was conducted on the U.S. results to capitalize on its larger sample size and diversity of social change attitudes and behaviors measured. This analysis was used to develop an algorithm that was applied to each of the other countries to classify each country’s respective results. The analysis revealed six distinct groups of social change agents as well as a segment of the population that says it never engages in positive social change activities. The six segments of social change agents are: Ultracommitted Change-Makers, Faith-Inspired Givers,* Socially Conscious Consumers,^† Purposeful Participants, Casual Contributors and Social Change Spectators.^‡

The “What kind of social change agent are you?” quiz was developed based on the results of the segmentation analysis. The quiz is based on a subset of questions from the 2013 Social Change Impact Report survey that can be used most efficiently to predict an individual’s classification into one of the social change agent segments. The quiz also includes several added questions used to provide additional context to the segment profile.

*In China and Germany, the Faith-Inspired Giver segment was too small in the survey (<50 respondents) to allow an examination of its characteristics and thus these countries are excluded from the analysis of this segment.

^†In India and Jordan, the Socially Conscious Consumer segment was too small in the survey (<50 respondents) to allow an examination of its characteristics and thus these countries are excluded from the analysis of this segment.

^‡In Brazil, India, and Mexico, the Social Change Spectator segment was too small in the survey (<50 respondents) to allow an examination of its characteristics and thus these countries are excluded from the analysis of this segment.