Discussion:
Weaknesses:
There were several weaknesses in our
study. Our biggest weakness was non-response bias.
Out of the 200 surveys that were distributed, only 151 were
returned. Out of the 151 surveys that were returned, 12
of the respondents were not familar with Lady Gaga's music.
Therefore, only 139 surveys could be used in our study.
Another weakness in the study was response bias in the fact
that there was no standard metric for the rating of Lady Gaga.
Respondents would use their own, unique scales to judge her
music and many people voted with the extremes of 1 or 10, which
are unlikely values to show up so consistently.
EXTRAPOLATION:
Our study can be extrapolated to other high schools within the midwestern region of the United States of America. This is because the age group and demographics of the students would likely be similar in the various high schools in this region. Therefore, their music tastes would be similar. However, our study cannot be extrapolated to a population outside of midwestern high schools because age and demographics have a large influence on music preferences. High schools disregard younger and older audiences. High schools outside of the midwestern region, such as the south, may have different cultural preferences and may view Lady Gaga much differently than those in the midwest.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER WORK:
One suggestion for our study would be to sample students from high schools across the nation. This would elimate cultural biases by including all the regions in the USA. We could also extend our surveys to age groups older than high schoolers to obtain broader results on the view of Lady Gaga. Also, we could create a standard metric scale of ratings to obtain more accurate data and elminate personal scales.
"Lets have some fun, this beat is sick
I want to take a ride on your disco stick" - LoveGame