Friday, January 06, 2012

Comment Psychology

Recently a Chinese official complains that the survey conducted by University of Hong Kong for many years is not scientific. The result in past few years was highly accepted by his colleagues. Inconsistent comments on consistent object implies that such scientific judgement is just a gimmick.

Let see his complaint on putting Chinese and Hong Kong citizen as two parallel options of recognized identity. He thinks that all Hong Kong citizens are Chinese by defaut.

He actually forgets that people can select up to four options. The question would not make Chinese and Hong Kong mutually exclusive. Besides that there are follow-up rating questions on importance and degree of belonging. It is an objective approach. It follows the scientific method.

He also forgets that some are American, Indian, Korean, Japanese. Even though they love Chinese culture, you cannot treat them as Chinese. It is common sense of secondary school students.

Why does the official make such different comment? It is because of different result which they don't like. The rating for being Chinese drops after pushing national education rigorously.

After reading the older science books in mainland, you may make a guess. He may think that science need to serve the communist party. He may think social science should help to decorate the policies.