Text of all survey questions below

Percent who agree

details

73        In anger I have purposely damaged property belonging to someone else.

details

Text of all survey questions below

Percent who agree

details

73        In anger I have purposely damaged property belonging to someone else.

details

Question 7:  Is there a difference between people of different education in emotional lifestyle?

Table 2
Item 7:  How good a person do you consider yourself to be on a scale of 1-10?     1=least;  10=most

Educational background has an effect on some emotions and not on others. There is no statistically significant difference in how much stress is experienced, the mean is around 5.7. Similarly, there is no statistically significant difference in how compassionate they see themselves, the mean is around 7.1. There is no statistically significant difference in how compassionate they see others, the mean is around 5.7.

There is however a statistically significant difference in how good they perceive themselves:

The table above shows that people with a college degree perceive themselves around 7.6 in goodness while people with a graduate degree or a high school degree perceive themselves as 7.2, the difference is highly significant and amounts to about 6 percent. This means the amount of the difference is small but very consistent.

There is no difference in how good they perceive others, the mean is around 6.4 for all education groups.

As for how angry they perceive themselves (item 9), there is a highly significant difference such that people with only a high school education see themselves as more angry (5.1) than those with either a college degree (4.7) or graduate degree (4.5), the difference is about 13 percent. A similar significant difference exists in their perception of how angry others are (item 10): people with only a high school degree have a mean of 5.1, those with a college degree have a mean of 4.9, and those with a graduate degree, a mean of 4.5.

Question 11:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they are angry?

Table 3
Item 11:  How often do you experience anger, rage, or hate?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience anger or rage on a recurrent basis. While less than 4 percent of people report hourly anger or rage, a  majority report feeling it on a recurrent basis either daily or weekly. The report of daily rage is greatest among those with only a high school education (38 percent), next those with a college education (32 percent), and least for those with a graduate school education (29 percent). Between 21 and 24 percent of people report rarely or never experiencing anger or rage. Combining the alternatives--weekly, daily, hourly, the vast majority of people report feeling anger or rage on a recurrent basis: 79 percent for those with only high school education, 76 percent for college graduates and those with graduate school background.

Question 12:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they fantasize violence?

Table 4
Item 12:  How often do you experience enjoying fantasies of violence?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience fantasies of violence on a daily or hourly basis. More people with only a high school education (14 percent) fantasize violence on a regular basis--weekly, daily or hourly than those with a college background (11 percent), or those with a graduate school background (7 percent). It appears from this evidence that more educated people are less prone to violence fantasies.

Question 14:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel compassion?

Table 5
Item 14:  How often do you experience feeling compassion for someone?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience compassion on a daily or hourly basis, but the difference is very small in actual amount: 70 percent for high school and college educated people, 66 percent for those with graduate school background. Very few people rarely or never experience compassion (between 2 and 5 percent).

Question 17:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel impatient?

Table 6
Item 17:  How often do you experience feeling impatient with others?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience impatience on a daily or hourly basis, more of it being reported by those with less education: 63 percent for those with only a high school background, 59 percent for college educated people, 54 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, few people rarely or never experience impatience on a recurrent basis (about 10 percent).

Question 18:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel calm?

Table 7
Item 18:  How often do you experience feeling level headed, calm, composed or collected?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis feeling calm, collected, level-headed, composed, but the differences are small in percentage points: 71 percent for those with only a high school background, 77 percent for college educated people, 73 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, very few people rarely or never experience calm, cool, and collected on a recurrent basis (between 3 and 7 percent).

Question 20:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel like being rude?

Table 8
Item 20:  How often do you experience feeling like being rude, obnoxious or sarcastic to someone?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience feeling on a daily or hourly basis, like being rude, obnoxious or sarcastic, with more people reporting this who have less education: 54 percent for those with only a high school background, 38 percent for college educated people, 29 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report feeling like being rude and obnoxious on a recurrent basis is 77 percent (high school background), 71 percent (college background), and 67 percent (graduate school background).

Question 21:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel stupid?

Table 9
Item 21:  How often do you experience feeling like you are stupid, dumb, an idiot, etc.?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience feeling on a daily or hourly basis, stupid, dumb, or an idiot, with more people reporting this who have less education: 33 percent for those with only a high school background, 19 percent for college educated people, 18 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report feeling stupid, dumb, or an idiot on a recurrent basis is 66 percent (high school background), 49 percent (college background), and 50 percent (graduate school background). In all, a majority of our population feels like an idiot at least once a week, and many feel this several times a week.

Question 22:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel someone else is stupid?

Table 10
Item 22:  How often do you experience feeling like someone else is stupid, dumb, an idiot, etc.?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience feeling on a daily or hourly basis that others are stupid, dumb, or an idiot, with more people reporting this who have less education: 61 percent for those with only a high school background, 52 percent for college educated people, 43 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report feeling like someone else is stupid, dumb, or an idiot on a recurrent basis is: 87 percent (high school background), 85 percent (college background), and 81 percent (graduate school background). In all, the vast majority of our population regularly feels like someone else is an idiot (between 81 and 87 percent).

Question 23:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel insulted?

Table 11
Item 23:  How often do you experience feeling humiliated, disrespected or insulted by someone?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis that they have been humiliated, disrespected or insulted by someone, with more people reporting this who have less education: 32 percent for those with only a high school background, 19 percent for college educated people, 14 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report that they have been humiliated, disrespected or insulted by someone: 62 percent (high school background), 52 percent (college background), and 48 percent (graduate school background). In all, the majority of our population regularly feels humiliated, disrespected or insulted by someone.

Question 24:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel like insulting someone?

Table 12
Item 24:  How often do you experience feeling like humiliating, disrespecting or insulting someone?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis that they want to humiliate, disrespect or insult someone, with more people reporting this who have less education: 28 percent for those with only a high school background, 16 percent for college educated people, 10 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report that they want to humiliate, disrespect or insult someone is: 47 percent (high school background), 35 percent (college background), and 30 percent (graduate school background).

Question 27:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel bullied?

Table 13
Item 27:  How often do you experience feeling criticized, picked on or being bullied?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis that they are being criticized, picked on or bullied, with more people reporting this who have less education: 23 percent for those with only a high school background, 14 percent for college educated people, 8 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report that they feel criticized, picked on or bullied is: 49 percent (or half of all people with a high school background), 39 percent (one in three with a college background), and 38 percent (one in three with a graduate school background).

Question 28:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel like bullying someone?

Table 14
Item 28:  How often do you experience feeling like picking on or bullying someone?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis that they want to pick on or bully someone, with more people reporting this who have less education: 14 percent for those with only a high school background, 6 percent for college educated people, 3 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report that they feel like picking on or bullying someone is: 29 percent (high school background), 18 percent (college background), and 14 percent (graduate school background).

Question 29:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel depressed?

Table 15
Item 29:  How often do you experience feeling discouraged or depressed?

Answer:

There is no statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis that they are discouraged or depressed--about one in four people: 27 percent for those with only a high school background, 28 percent for college educated people, 25 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report that they feel discouraged or depressed is: 68 percent (high school background), 66 percent (college background), and 70 percent (graduate school background). This evidence shows that two out of three people in the general population feel discouraged or depressed on a recurrent basis--over 100 million Americans.

Question 30:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel like a loser for not speaking up?

Table 16
Item 30:  How often do you experience feeling like a big loser for not saying something after being taken advantage of?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis that they are feeling like a big loser for not saying something after being taken advantage of: 17 percent for those with only a high school background, 12 percent for college educated people, 8 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report that they feel like a big loser for not saying something after being taken advantage of is: 48 percent (high school background), 39 percent (college background), and 35 percent (graduate school background). This evidence shows that education provides an advantage against this feeling.

Question 31:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel emotionally out of control?

Table 17
Item 31:  How often do you experience feeling like you have no control over your emotions and that you cannot help feeling disturbed about things?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis that have no control over their emotions: 26 percent for those with only a high school background, 20 percent for college educated people, 19 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report that they feel discouraged or depressed is: 57 percent (high school background), 48 percent (college background), and 42 percent (graduate school background). This evidence shows that education provides an advantage against this feeling. In general, about half of the population recurrently has the feeling that they are emotionally out of control.

Question 32:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel incompetent, inadequate?

Table 18
Item 32:  How often do you experience feeling that something must be wrong with you, that you are incompetent, inadequate or defective?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis that they are incompetent, inadequate or defective: 28 percent for those with only a high school background, 17 percent for college educated people, 17 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report feeling incompetent, inadequate or defective is: 52 percent (high school background), 41 percent (college background), and 41 percent (graduate school background). This evidence shows that in general, about half of the population recurrently has the feeling that they are incompetent, inadequate or defective.

Question 33:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel worthless?

Table 19
Item 33:  How often do you experience feeling worthless or that life is not worth all the misery and pain?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis that they are worthless or that life is not worth all the misery and pain: 18 percent for those with only a high school background, 10 percent for college educated people, 9 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report feeling worthless or that life is not worth all the misery and pain is: 37 percent (high school background), 25 percent (college background), and 25 percent (graduate school background).

Question 34:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel angry when being interfered with?

Table 20
Item 34:  How often do you experience feeling angry because someone tries to stop you from doing what you want?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis feeling angry because someone tries to stop them from doing what they want: 25 percent for those with only a high school background, 13 percent for college educated people, 10 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report feeling angry because someone tries to stop them from doing what they want is: 58 percent (high school background), 39 percent (college background), and 36 percent (graduate school background). Education seems to provide somewhat of an antidote for feeling the frustration of being interfered with on a regular basis.

Question 35:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel angry when treated unfairly?

Table 21
Item 35:  How often do you experience feeling angry because someone is inconsiderate or unfair to you?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis feeling angry because someone is inconsiderate or unfair to them: 27 percent for those with only a high school background, 21 percent for college educated people, 20 percent for those with graduate school background. Adding all three categories--weekly, daily, hourly, the number of people who report feeling angry because someone is inconsiderate or unfair to them is: 69 percent (high school background), 66 percent (college background), and 62 percent (graduate school background).

Question 36:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel angry when someone hurts their feelings?

Table 22
Item 36:  How often do you experience feeling angry because someone hurts your feelings?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis feeling angry when someone hurts their feelings: 22 percent for those with only a high school background, 11 percent for college educated people, 8 percent for those with graduate school background. Education has a strong effect on this type of anger: twice as many high school educated individuals experience this on a daily or hourly basis as college educated people, and three times as many as those with a graduate school background. Still, almost half of the population report rarely or never having this type of anger: 41 percent (high school background), 57 percent (college background), and 57 percent (graduate school background).

Question 37:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel angry when someone talks behind their back?

Table 23
Item 37:  How often do you experience feeling angry because someone has talked badly about you behind your back?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience on a daily or hourly basis feeling angry when someone talks badly about them behind their back: 16 percent for those with only a high school background, 5 percent for college educated people, 5 percent for those with graduate school background. Education has a strong effect on this type of anger: three times as many high school educated individuals experience this on a daily or hourly basis as college educated people and those with a graduate school background. Still, the majority of the population report rarely or never having this type of anger: 60 percent (high school background), 81 percent (college background), and 79 percent (graduate school background).

Question 38:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel shame?

Table 24
Item 38:  How often do you experience feeling shame?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience shame on a daily or hourly basis: 11 percent for those with only a high school background, 8 percent for college educated people, 7 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 35 percent (high school background), 27 percent (college background), and 28 percent (graduate school background). The majority of people report they rarely or never have shame: 65 percent (high school background), 73 percent (college background), and 72 percent (graduate school background).

Question 39:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they feel downcast, in a depressed mood?

Table 25
Item 39:  How often do you experience a depressed mood, constant fatigue, feeling downcast?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience a depressed mood, constant fatigue, feeling downcast on a daily or hourly basis: 11 percent for those with only a high school background, 8 percent for college educated people, 7 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 35 percent (high school background), 27 percent (college background), and 28 percent (graduate school background). The majority of people report they rarely or never experience a depressed mood, constant fatigue, feeling downcast: 65 percent (high school background), 73 percent (college background), and 72 percent (graduate school background).

Question 40:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they experience difficulty in making decisions, distractedness?

Table 26
Item 40:  How often do you experience difficulty in making decisions, completing tasks, distractedness?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience difficulty in making decisions, completing tasks, distractedness on a daily or hourly basis: 32 percent for those with only a high school background, 28 percent for college educated people, 26 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 64 percent (high school background), 58 percent (college background), and 61 percent (graduate school background). A substantial proportion of the population report they rarely or never experience difficulty in making decisions, completing tasks, distractedness: 36 percent (high school background), 42 percent (college background), and 39 percent (graduate school background).

Question 43:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they experience being dejected?

Table 27
Item 43:  How often do you experience being dejected, melancholy, sad?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience being dejected, melancholy, sad on a daily or hourly basis: 22 percent for those with only a high school background, 16 percent for college educated people, 11 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 53 percent (high school background), 49 percent (college background), and 51 percent (graduate school background). About half of the population report they rarely or never experience being dejected, melancholy, sad: 47 percent (high school background), 51 percent (college background), and 49 percent (graduate school background).

Question 45:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they experience feeling miserable?

Table 28
Item 45:  How often do you experience frequent crying, feeling miserable, feeling sorry for self?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience frequent crying, feeling miserable, feeling sorry for self on a daily or hourly basis: 13 percent for those with only a high school background, 8 percent for college educated people, 6 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 38 percent (high school background), 29 percent (college background), and 26 percent (graduate school background). A majority of the population report they rarely or never experience frequent crying, feeling miserable, feeling sorry for self: 62 percent (high school background), 71 percent (college background), and 74 percent (graduate school background).

Question 47:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they experience feeling blue, lack of enthusiasm?

Table 29
Item 47:  How often do you experience lack of enthusiasm, having the blues, dull, bored?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience lack of enthusiasm, having the blues, dull, bored on a daily or hourly basis: 29 percent for those with only a high school background, 24 percent for college educated people, 16 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 67 percent (high school background), 63 percent (college background), and 60 percent (graduate school background). A third of the population report they rarely or never experience lack of enthusiasm, having the blues, dull, bored: 33 percent (high school background), 37 percent (college background), and 40 percent (graduate school background).

Question 48:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they experience feeling hopeless?

Table 30
Item 48:  How often do you experience feeling hopeless, low spirits, despondent, cheerless?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience feeling hopeless, low spirits, despondent, cheerless on a daily or hourly basis: 15 percent for those with only a high school background, 13 percent for college educated people, 9 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 45 percent (high school background), 39 percent (college background), and 38 percent (graduate school background). A majority of the population report they rarely or never experience feeling hopeless, low spirits, despondent, cheerless: 55 percent (high school background), 61 percent (college background), and 62 percent (graduate school background).

Question 49:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they experience feeling unattractive?

Table 31
Item 49:  How often do you experience feeling dumpy, ugly, unattractive?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience feeling dumpy, ugly, unattractive on a daily or hourly basis: 31 percent for those with only a high school background, 24 percent for college educated people, 20 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 63 percent (high school background), 53 percent (college background), and 48 percent (graduate school background). A substantial proportion of the population report they rarely or never experience feeling dumpy, ugly, unattractive: 37 percent (high school background), 47 percent (college background), and 52 percent (graduate school background).

Question 51:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they experience feeling up-tight?

Table 32
Item 51:  How often do you experience feeling restless, pent-up, up-tight?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience feeling restless, pent-up, up-tight on a daily or hourly basis: 26 percent for those with only a high school background, 20 percent for college educated people, 20 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 54 percent (high school background), 60 percent (college background), and 62 percent (graduate school background). A substantial proportion of the population report they rarely or never experience feeling restless, pent-up, up-tight: 46 percent (high school background), 40 percent (college background), and 38 percent (graduate school background).

Question 52:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they experience feeling self-blame?

Table 33
Item 52:  How often do you experience feeling sorrow, grief, guilt, self-blame?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience feeling sorrow, grief, guilt, self-blame on a daily or hourly basis: 14 percent for those with only a high school background, 10 percent for college educated people, 7 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 39 percent (high school background), 30 percent (college background), and 28 percent (graduate school background). A majority of the population report they rarely or never experience feeling sorrow, grief, guilt, self-blame: 61 percent (high school background), 70 percent (college background), and 72 percent (graduate school background).

Question 53:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they experience ruminating, sulking?

Table 34
Item 53:  How often do you experience ruminating, exaggerating, sulking?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience ruminating, exaggerating, sulking on a daily or hourly basis: 11 percent for those with only a high school background, 10 percent for college educated people, 6 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 39 percent (high school background), 34 percent (college background), and 38 percent (graduate school background). A majority of the population report they rarely or never experience ruminating, exaggerating, sulking: 61 percent (high school background), 66 percent (college background), and 62 percent (graduate school background).

Question 54:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they experience suicidal thoughts?

Table 35
Item 54:  How often do you experience suicidal thoughts?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience suicidal thoughts on a daily or hourly basis: 8 percent for those with only a high school background, 2 percent for college educated people, 3 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 16 percent (high school background), 10 percent (college background), and 9 percent (graduate school background). The vast majority of the population report they rarely or never experience suicidal thoughts: 84 percent (high school background), 90 percent (college background), and 91 percent (graduate school background).

Question 55:  Is there a difference between people of different education in how often they experience being hopeful, optimistic?

Table 36
Item 55:  How often do you experience being hopeful, optimistic or enthusiastic about your future?

Answer:

There is a statistically significant effect of educational background on how often people experience being hopeful, optimistic or enthusiastic about their future on a daily or hourly basis: 46 percent for those with only a high school background, 46 percent for college educated people, 46 percent for those with graduate school background. Combining over weekly, daily, hourly: 81 percent (high school background), 83 percent (college background), and 88 percent (graduate school background). A small proportion of the population report they rarely or never experience being hopeful, optimistic or enthusiastic about your future: 19 percent (high school background), 17 percent (college background), and 12 percent (graduate school background).