‘The question is, are these results credible, and are they true?’ asks Conrad.
‘In an opt-in poll, participants select themselves into the survey – sometimes to earn a little money.’
And it’s clear that the number of people calling themselves Christian up when you use ‘opt-in’ polls compared with gold standard probability-based polls.
Jan 29, 2026 18:50It is simply not true, for instance, that one in two British young people go to church once a month, as opt-in polls tend to find. That’s three times as many as their parents!
Hackett says this is likely due to ‘bogus respondents’: people who say they are young giving *any* answer to make money.
