Eurobarometer 52.1 (1999)

The major topics are:1. science and technology2. quality of life3. information technologies4. logos/symbols5. consumer protection.Topics:1. science and technology:expected influence of new technologies (such as solar energy,information technology, biotechnology (split: gene technology),telecommunication, new materials, space exploration, Internet, nuclear energy)on the life the of respondent in the next 20 years;associations with the topic modern biotechnology,including gene research and attitude to certain areas,such as cloning animals and people,health research and genetically modified food;knowledge test on various areas of modern biotechnology;knowledge and judgement on utility, risk, moral acceptance andappropriateness of support for various biotechnological applications e.g.in medicine, with genetically modified foods and cloning of animals and people;attitude to cloning of animals or genetically modified foods (split);trust in institutions such as consumer organizations, press, government,industry, agriculture, churches, doctors etc.regarding their action and their information policies in biotechnology;interest in biotechnology.2. quality of life:satisfaction with life in general, with health, the public health system,family life, social life, personal security, the financial situation,the situation in the job market and the neighborhood;comparison of current satisfaction with two years ago and in two years;factors that would improve the quality of life;distance of respondent from workplace and infrastructure facilities such as:schools, doctor, police, post office, movies, hospital and supermarket;self-assessment of personal standard of living;income excess for savings of respondent;perceived opportunities to improve personal standard of living:Job search, further education, self-employment, mobility;assessment of personal behavior regarding healthful nutrition, sport affinity,smoking, use of alcohol and stress burden;trips to doctor or dentist in the last 12 months;hospital stay and chronic illnesses;leisure activities exercised and leisure partner;readiness of respondent to support the socially weak;assessment which government, charity and other institutionsshould support the socially weak;perception and acceptance of social differences in the country;task of government in this area (scale).3. information technologies:expected influence of information technologieson improvement in quality of life;judgement whether government should spend moreto make new information technologies available to everyone;participation in IT schooling and courses.4. logos/symbols:knowledge and assumed significance of the CE symbol;presence of this identification on various products;perception of the CE symbol as test symbol;assumed authority awarding this identification;consideration of the symbol in purchases;degree of familiarity and considerationof further product symbols and marks of quality.5. consumer protection:assessment of personal extent to which informed as consumer;preferred sources of information about consumer rights;frequency of personal product complaints;knowledge where and in what form a complaint can be registered;knowledge about referees, advisors, Ombudsmen andreadiness to to contact them if needed;problems with products or services in the last 5 years and their resolution;minimum financial dispute for respondent to initiate legal proceedings;hesitation to go to court;possession of legal costs insurance;readiness for judicial conflict if one can go to court with several consumers;factors favoring a common defense of rights before a court;trusted authority in such a procedure;trust in the system regarding consumer protection;preferred measures to improve the legal system;judgement who is responsible for consumer protection;personal complaints with products purchased abroad;satisfaction with result achieved;preferred decision authority in consumer protection questions;approval of introduction of a uniform EU complaint form;knowledge of such a form;possession of durable economic goods such as color television set,video equipment, radio alarm, PC, camera, drill, electric frying pan andsecond car;vacation home and/or second homeowned by respondent or another person in household.Demography:age;sex;marital status;size of household;children in household;residential status;size of residence in qm;self-assessment on a left-right continuum;postmaterialism;age at termination of education;occupation;previous occupation;religion;self-assessment of religiousness;household income and most important source of income;nationality;city size;region.Also encoded was:date of interview;start of interview;length of interview;presence of further persons during interview;cooperation of respondent;possession of a telephone.