Flemington, NJ, May 7, 2009 – A new national study conducted among 230 viewers of Bristol Palin’s Today Show interview with Matt Lauer revealed that the majority feel Bristol’s new position as an advocate for preventing teen pregnancy will help in the cause. 51% of Democrats, 76% of Republicans and 58% of Independents feel that having Bristol as a spokesperson for this prevention will help teenagers in the fight against teen pregnancy.
The study was conducted using the MediaCurves.com® website on May 6, to obtain Americans’ perceptions of Bristol Palin’s Today Show interview where she speaks out about her own experience as a teen mother and her new advocate position to promote abstinence in the fight against teen pregnancy.
We asked respondents what they feel is the best way to prevent teen pregnancy. Democrats said that safe sex education taught in both schools and at home was the best while Republicans felt the best method is abstinence education taught in both schools and at home. Independents were split on these two responses. All political parties agreed that this topic of education should be taught around 12-13 years of age.
Among the findings:
“Do you think that Bristol Palin is an appropriate spokesperson for The Candies Foundation (which is an organization dedicated to educating America’s youth about the devastating consequences of teen pregnancy)?”
|
|
Democrat |
Republican |
Independent |
|
Yes |
50% |
85% |
64% |
|
No |
50% |
15% |
36% |
“With her new advocate position, do you think that Bristol Palin will help teenage
girls in the fight against teen pregnancy?”
|
|
Democrat |
Republican |
Independent |
|
Yes |
51% |
76% |
58% |
|
No |
49% |
24% |
42% |
“What do you feel is the best way to prevent teen pregnancy?”
|
|
Democrats |
Republicans |
Independents |
|
Safe sex education in the classroom |
9% |
13% |
8% |
|
By endorsing safe sex with the distribution of contraceptives at school (such as condoms, diaphragms, etc.) |
15% |
1% |
8% |
|
Safe sex education at home |
6% |
10% |
7% |
|
Safe sex education in the classroom |
46% |
21% |
36% |
|
Abstinence education in the classroom |
0% |
3% |
1% |
|
Abstinence education at home |
5% |
4% |
1% |
|
Abstinence education in the classroom and at home |
18% |
46% |
34% |
|
Other |
0% |
1% |
3% |
|
None |
0% |
0% |
1% |
“At what age do you feel this education should be taught?”
|
|
Democrats |
Republicans |
Independents |
|
Under 10 years of age |
6% |
10% |
4% |
|
10-11-years-old |
26% |
26% |
24% |
|
12-13-years old |
47% |
41% |
44% |
|
14-15-years-old |
21% |
19% |
26% |
|
16-17-years old |
0% |
3% |
1% |
|
18+ |
0% |
0% |
0% |
While viewing the video clip, participants indicated their levels of agreement by moving their mouse from left to right on a continuum. The responses were recorded in quarter-second intervals and reported in the form of curves. The participants were also asked to respond to post-viewing questions.
About MediaCurves.com:
MediaCurves.com® (www.mediacurves.com) is a media measurement website that provides the media and general public with a venue to view Americans’ perceptions of popular and controversial media events and advertisements. MediaCurves.com is a service of HCD Research, a communications research company headquartered in Flemington, NJ. The company's services include traditional and web-based communications research. For additional information on HCD Research, access the company’s web site at www.hcdi.net or call HCD Research at 908-788-9393.
Editors/Reporters: For more information on the study, or to speak with Glenn Kessler, president and CEO, HCD Research, please contact Vince McGourty, HCD Research, at (908) 483-9121 or (vince.mcgourty@hcdi.net).
|
 Send This Thread to a Friend |
