Results for the survey are based on telephone interviews conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates among a nationwide sample of 1,200 adults, 18 years of age or older, during the period September 13-17, 2001. For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. For questions asked only during the field period of September 14-17 (N=868), the sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points. For results based on either Form 1 (N=416) or Form 2 (N=452), the sampling error is plus or minus 5.5 percentage points. For results based on the parents of children aged 5-12 (N=331), one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 6 percentage points.

In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.