Gender Swapping Survey

it starts with a user agreement?....there are so many things I could say.... but I'll stick with: "Why?"

Because it's actually a real academic survey with informed consent guidelines. It's the ones that DON'T start with a user agreement that are bogus.

I agree, I did the survey just minutes ago and missed the opportunity to comment on the questions as well.

I refer specificly to the last question if finding out someone you know turns out to be from a different gender than you thought if that bothered me. That answer I gave was based upon a normal friendship, and not on for instance a relationship.
Responces to that question are different according to surcomstances.

For instance: in general interactions with residents, I do not wonder if they are the same gender in RL as they show in SL, it does not interest me. But friends, I know their RL gender and if that differs from their SL gender or not.

When I started SL, in januari last year, I was single in both lifes. I never had any interest in an SL only relationship, I am hetero, so therefor when I met someone in SL, it was vital for me to know she was female in RL too...

And as a matter: She is my RL lady now

I asked to recieve results for this survey when it is completed. I was promptly answered (within 24 hours). I was also told it is anticipated be 9 to 12 months before the results would be ready in an almost appologetic tone. Far from being dismayed, I was actually pleased to find this was a long term project not some fly by night I need it in a week thing.

((edited to fix a typo))

Interesting. I was bored, so I did the survey. Most of it was rather well thought out. A number of poor assumptions, however.

1: The survey seemed to imply that one must have started out playing their own gender, and later "switched" to the opposing gender. There was no way to indicate that a given avatar switches frequently between multiple gender options. I set up a male avatar and a female avatar within weeks of each other, as distinct and seperate individuals. So have been doing gender swapping virtually 100% of the time that I have been in SL, and for many years before, elsewhere.

2: The survey seemed to assume you only have one Avatar. I have 14. Some are males, some are females. Only one is Human, though several occasionally take on Human forms. I'm a roleplayer, and switch back and forth between the characters frequently.

3: The survey did not take into account one's approach to gender identity in an on-line environment, with regards to the linkage, or lack thereof, between the Character and the real person. All my Avatars, weather they match my actual gender or not, are fictional characters. None of them EVER represent themselves as a "true representation of my real self". The base assumption in the survey seemed to be that if one gender-swaps, one is automaticly lying about their real gender. I don't tell what my real gender is, because I NEVER date anyone from on-line. Any "relationships" between my characters and anyone elses are just that - "between the characters" - not between the real people typing their words.

You need to repeat the e-mail address at the end of the survey, for how to get survey results sent to you. Placing it on the first pahe it gets lost.

Windsweptgold:

It is perfectly ok to not answer some questions on the survey. (Most are optional, although the more questions people answer, the more data I get and the more correlations I get to explore. To me, that's interesting and fun.) Demographic information such as income is a fairly standard questions psychologists ask. It is fine to think that it might not be relevant to this particular study. I too would be surprised if I obtained any statistically significant results with that particular variable.

As for you indicating that you did not play a non-human and then it asking you questions related to that, that is obviously a mistake. I have gone back and answered as you did, and I did not get asked that question. So, I am not sure if it was just a momentary glitch on Survey Monkey or what was the source of the error. Thank you for pointing it out to me, however.

Considerably better than other surveys that have been posted here. There were still a few assumptions that I was unhappy with, such as whether SL is a massively multiplayer online game? I'd say no, but I think you consider it is. Plus the possibility (likelihood?) that people have played more than one account. I answered treating my alts as a single account, for the purposes of time spent in different genders. My percentage of time as male, female & non-human doesn't add up to 100, because I've been both female and relatively genderless in non-human avatars.

Still, very good. I salute you, Sir or Madam! (or other, please specify).

Agreed!

If I added up all my accounts, it adds up to far more than "100% of the time spent on line", because I frequently have more than one account logged in at once! Of various gender combinations!

I took it. I swear, it's the best survey I've taken.

actually I meant in the sense that an ok button is more than sufficient, and that the no button could actually be used to compile statistics on user non agreement with terms (which, while legitimate, might look bad in the light of gaining consent for a survey)

at least that's the issue(s) I raised when OP was kind enough to PM me explaining their position.

I'm actually GLAD to see professional standards being observed, it was more of a "doesn't that layout run contrary to the standards" nit pick. probably something that their standards board should look at, nothing more (the real life analog is the ability to walk away, denoting non consent, being equal to the web side, browser back or close buttons. in either case it is still possible but not as likely to track non consent statistics. which protect the study's ethical considerations)

ETA:
I noticed a few things that were odd.
most number fields would not take a range or approximation (I'm afraid some did some math as in the [2-4] hrs/day, [3-4] days/week (when my ISP and SL comply)

comparing gender to biologic sex before defining the persons biologic sex. (similar problem to the gender vs non-human)

the disagree/agree fields for several question never define who is being discussed in most cases, and some answers could have wide variation in personal PoV, vs a more general availability. (I choose to answer based on my consideration of how some individuals might view it, rather than my own personal opinion)

and I ended with this note:
I really, just, don't, care... I take people as they present themselves. it's neither a worthy use of my time nor politic to go around guessing at the meaning of this or that (re)action.

People are people, assholes are assholes.

No offense but why not launch SL and send respondents a note card? Then even if their IMs are capped, they will receive it - and you will know they did, because they must click to accept it or decline it. (No way to tell if they read it though unless they reply.)

I don't email strangers. Too bad you don't just pop over to some in world meeting place and talk to us like we're human.

I could be misremembering, but I don't think the survey ever asked for avatar name. (Or any name, and emailing is optional.) Hard to send a notecard without a destination.

I took the survey a couple of nights ago and found it interesting and well-thought-out. I did send an email after I took it (because I wanted to be on the list to receive the results, and took the time to add a few comments) but other than by comparing the time I took the survey and the time I emailed, there is no way to connect that email with my individual responses on the survey. And if that happened, I'm not particularly fussed.

eh, that doesn't bother me. I get to email each day before I get to SL, so for me the email way is more convenient anyway.

In any case the only people he'd be able to contact that way were the people who stated here that they'd responded. The survey did not ask for an avatar name.

I guess I'm narcissistic enough to enjoy a survey like this that seems to care what I'm like. It took about 6 minutes. It seemed pretty intelligent, and harmless anyway.