Furry Research

Furry Survey v 6.0.4

Alex Osaki; bce@klisoura.com
Current version date: 22 January, 2012
Total questions: 32 + 6

Welcome to the Furry Survey, new and improved for 2012! This version shares general commonality with last year's version, with the addition of a second optional section intended to provide some limited psychographic information. If you have questions before taking the survey, please feel free to avail yourself of the following links:

Frequently Asked Questions
Explanation of Questions

A writeup on the survey last year is available at http://www.klisoura.com/fs2011v.html; I will provide a similar resource for the current year as soon as the results are large enough to warrant it. This survey will run from today, 22 January until the end of the year or the end of the world, whichever comes first. The questions begin below. All of them are optional, so although the survey is completely anonymous, and I would prefer you to complete all of them, this is not required.

NOTES FOR FURRY SURVEY 6:

This survey is mostly identical to the one last year (on purpose, since the goal of running it multiple times is to track year-on-year changes). Here is a list of all the changes:

Other note:

The raw data from the survey will be made public for other researchers (in particular, because people keep asking me questions -- mostly unique -- that require several hours of work on my part). All identifying information will be removed (any text-based responses, unique identifying strings, etc). Only objective information will be recorded. If you have concerns about this, please register them with me at my e-mail address, bce@klisoura.com. There has been some clamour for me to make the data available, and I want to do so, but I'm also sensitive to any potential concerns.
Begin survey below
Q1.
Please enter your birth month and year:

Explanation of Question
Q2.
What is your biological sex?

Explanation of Question

 Male
Female
Other
Q3.
What is your self-identified gender?

Explanation of Question

 Male, completely
Male, predominantly
Equal parts male and female
Female, predominantly
Female, completely
Genderqueer
Other (Optionally: )
Q4.
What is your sexual orientation?

Explanation of Question

 Completely heterosexual
Mostly heterosexual
Bisexual leaning heterosexual
Bisexual
Bisexual leaning homosexual
Mostly homosexual
Completely homosexual
Pansexual[?] Asexual[?]
Q5.
Where do you live?

Explanation of Question
Q6.
How large is the town in which you make your permanent residence?

Explanation of Question
Q7.
What is your race?
(check all that apply)

Explanation of Question

 White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Native-American/Pacific Islander
Other (Optionally: )
Q8.
Please describe your spirituality:

Explanation of Question

 Christian, Catholic
Christian, Protestant
Christian, Other
Muslim
Hindu
Jewish
Pagan
Buddhist
Shinto
Agnostic
Atheist
Other (Optionally: )
Q9.
Please describe your political views (leave blank if apolitical):

Explanation of Question
More economic restrictions (regulated) Fewer economic restrictions (laissez-faire)
Other:
More social restrictions (authoritarianism) Fewer social restrictions (anarchism)
Other:
Q10.
What is your occupation?

Explanation of Question

 Student
Administrative
Government/Armed Service
Sales/Support
Technical/IT
Professional
Service
Creative or other within the furry fandom
Retired
Unemployed
None
Other (Optionally: )
Q11.
Please indicate your highest level of education

Explanation of Question

 Some high/secondary school
High/secondary school (ongoing)
High/secondary school graduate
Some college/university
College/university (ongoing)
College/university graduate
Some postcollege
Postcollege (ongoing)
Advanced degree
Other (Optionally: )
Q12.
What is your current relationship status?

Explanation of Question

 Single
Casual relationship
Open relationship
Long-term relationship
Marriage or other permanent commitment
Other (Optionally: )
Partner(s) is also a furry
Q13.
On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being extremely weakly and 10 being extremely strongly, how strongly do you consider yourself a part of the furry fandom?

Explanation of Question
 12345678910 
EXTREMELY WEAKLY EXTREMELY STRONGLY
Q14.
How long, in years, have you known about the furry fandom?

Explanation of Question
Q15.
How long, in years, have you considered yourself a furry?

Explanation of Question
Q16.
How many other furries do you know in a more than passing way?

(That is--that you would consider friends or acquaintances?)

Explanation of Question
Q17.
How many other furries have you met in person?

Explanation of Question
Q18.
Who knows that you are a furry?

Explanation of Question

 No-one
Immediate family
Significant other
Furry friends or acquaintances
Best non-furry friend(s)
Closer non-furry friends
Most non-furry friends
Coworkers
It is common knowledge
Q19.
How positively do you think non-furries respond to furriness?

Explanation of Question

 They have no knowledge
Extremely positively
Positively
Slightly positively
Ambivalently
Slightly negatively
Negatively
Extremely negatively
Q20.
Do people who know that you are a furry respond to you differently?

Explanation of Question

 No
Yes, they respond more positively
Yes, they respond more negatively
The reaction is mixed; some respond more positively and some more negatively
People do not know that I am a furry
Q21.
Among people who are aware of the furry fandom, would you characterise their perception as:

Explanation of Question

 Extremely accurate
Accurate
Inaccurate
Extremely inaccurate
Q22.
How strongly do you consider yourself human?

Explanation of Question

 I consider myself to be completely human, with no other attributes
I consider myself to be completely human, though I admire some aspects of other animals
I consider myself to be mostly human, with some other animal traits mixed in
I consider myself to be roughly equal parts human and animal
I consider myself partly human, although animal traits are more common
I do not consider myself human
Other (Optionally: )
Q23.
Do you represent yourself in the fandom as a different gender than your biological sex?

Explanation of Question

 No, and I would not do so
No, but I might do so
Yes, occasionally
Yes, regularly
My primary furry persona fits this description
Q24.
On a scale of 1-10, how important do you think sex is to the furry fandom?

Explanation of Question
 12345678910 
EXTREMELY UNIMPORTANT EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Q25.
On a scale of 1-10, how important is sex to you personally, in the context of the furry fandom?

Explanation of Question
 12345678910 
EXTREMELY UNIMPORTANT EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Q26.
On a scale of 1-10, how important do you believe sex is to other furries?

Explanation of Question
 12345678910 
EXTREMELY UNIMPORTANT EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Q27.
On a scale of 1-10, how important do you think the public--among those who are aware of it--believes sex is to the furry fandom?

Explanation of Question
 12345678910 
EXTREMELY UNIMPORTANT EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Q28.
Furry activities -- how often do you:Explanation of Question
  Never Less than once a year Yearly Several times a year Monthly Several times a month Weekly Daily
Chat with other furries online:
Roleplay with other furries:
Attend furry conventions:
Attend local meetups:
Visit furry websites:
Participate in furry online communities:
Write furry literature:
Draw furry artwork:
Q29.
Non-furry activities -- how often do you:

Explanation of Question
  Never Less than once a year Yearly Several times a year Monthly Several times a month Weekly Daily
Play online games:
Play roleplaying games:
Attend non-furry conventions:
Participate in other online communities:
Q30.
Would you describe yourself as? (check all that apply)

Explanation of Question

 An artist
A writer
A musician
A regular convention-goer
A fursuiter
Active in online communities
A fan of RPGs
A fan of science fiction
A fan of anime
A plushophile
A zoophile
Fluent in one or more languages besides your primary one
An animal rights advocate
A vegetarian
Politically active
Otherkin
Q31.
Regardless of your answer to Q30, please describe your general feelings about the following, on a scale of 1-10

Explanation of Question
EXTREMELY NEGATIVE12345678910EXTREMELY POSITIVE
Furry artwork:
Furry writing:
Furry conventions:
Fursuiting:
Plushophilia:
Zoophilia:
Furry online communities:
Q32.
On a scale of 1-10, how important do you think the following are to the furry fandom?

Explanation of Question
EXTREMELY UNIMPORTANT12345678910EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Artwork:
Writing:
Online communities:
MUDs and similar RPGs:
Conventions:
Fursuiting:
BA1.
Which of the following conventions have you attended? (or, for conventions taking place in 2012, which you will attend)
95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
All Fur Fun
AnthroCon
Califur
Confuzzled
Eurofurence
FA: United
FurFright
95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
Furry Connection North
Furry Fiesta
Furry Weekend Atlanta
Further Confusion
IndyFurCon
Megaplex
Mephit Furmeet
MiDFur
95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
Midwest FurFest
Morphicon
Oklacon
RBW
RainFurrest
Rocket City FurMeet
Rocky Mountain Fur Con
IndyFurCon
Other:
BA2.
Which of the following websites do you belong to, participate in, or follow regularly?
If you have a membership at one of these websites or check it once a week or more, consider yourself a follower of it.
 ArtSpots
DeviantArt
e621
F-list
Fchan
Flayrah
FurAffinity
Furcadia
FurNation
Furocity
Furrag
Furry 4 Life
Furry Teens
Furspace
Furtopia
Inkbunny
Pounced
SoFurry
VCL
WikiFur
Other:
BA3.
If you identify with a particular animal or have a particular furry persona, what is it?

Select multiple options if said animal is a hybrid.

If the following choices are insufficient, feel free to write in one. Please provide information only on your primary avatar. If you have multiple avatars, please include additional details in the write-in box provided.

Since people keep writing me about it, note that musteloid is a superfamily consisting of the mustelids, the procyonids, the mephitids, and the ailurids. See for instance Ulfur Arnason, Anette, Gullberg, et. al. in "Mitogenomic Analyses of Caniform Relationships" (Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45.3, December 2007) or Jun Sato, Mieczyslaw Wolsan, et. al in "Deciphering and dating the red panda's ancestry and early adaptive radiation of Musteloidea" (Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 53.3, December 2009). Take it up with them >:|
 Canine, Wolf
Canine, Fox, Red
Canine, Fox, Grey
Canine, Fox, Arctic
Canine, Fox, Kitsune
Canine, Fox, Other/Nonspecific
Canine, Coyote
Canine, Jackal
Canine, Dog, German shepherd
Canine, Dog, Husky
Canine, Dog, Collie
Canine, Dog, Other/Nonspecific
Canine, Other/Nonspecific
Feline, Tiger
Feline, Lion
Feline, Leopard
Feline, Snow leopard
Feline, Panther
Feline, Cheetah
Feline, Cougar
Feline, Domestic cat
Feline, Other/Nonspecific
Reptiloid, Dragon
Reptiloid, Lizard
Reptiloid, Dinosaur
Reptiloid, Other/Nonspecific
Musteloid, Raccoon
Musteloid, Skunk
Musteloid, Badger
Musteloid, Otter, River
Musteloid, Otter, Sea
Musteloid, Weasel
Musteloid, Other mustelid
Musteloid, Red Panda
Musteloid, Other/Nonspecific
Ungulate, Horse
Ungulate, Deer
Ungulate, Other
Bear, Brown
Bear, Grizzly
Bear, Panda
Bear, Polar
Bear, Other/Nonspecific
Rodent, Mouse
Rodent, Rat
Rodent, Squirrel
Rodent, Other/Nonspecific
Bird, Raven/Crow
Bird, Bird of Prey
Bird, Other
Rabbit/Hare
Kangaroo
Koala
Other Marsupial
Lemur
Monkey
Other Primate
Hyena
Bat
Griffin
Other
BA4.
If you chose an animal above, is there a reason you identify with it?
BA5.
Psychographic battery:

For the questions on the right, please select how strongly you personally agree with the statement.
STRONGLY AGREE123456STRONGLY DISAGREE
I believe in learning for learning's sake -- it doesn't need to have a purpose
My decisions are motivated primarily by my moral code
Advertising is a useful source of information
I'm more talented than most people in my peer group
Creativity is one of my strongest attributes
STRONGLY AGREE123456STRONGLY DISAGREE
Where pop culture is concerned, I'm ahead of the curve
In general, I want to be considered fashionable
Faith and spirituality is a good way of understanding the world
People are more distant from each other these days
I'd rather patronize a small business than a big company
STRONGLY AGREE123456STRONGLY DISAGREE
When something is confusing, it's better to find a simpler option than to spend time trying to figure it out
I find corporations, and corporate products, rather soulless and uninspiring
I enjoy being able to lead and influence others
People are too reliant on technology these days
I find a sense of routine comforting
STRONGLY AGREE123456STRONGLY DISAGREE
In general, I'd rather make something instead of buying it
I like learning about how the universe works
It's better to have an exciting life than one where every day is predictable
I'm often the first person in my group of friends to try something new
Mass media is too 'lowest common denominator' for my tastes
STRONGLY AGREE123456STRONGLY DISAGREE
Even if technically illegal, file-sharing of copyrighted material isn't that big a deal
My friends look to me for advice about movies, music, video games, or pop culture
It's important for people to be politically active
I admit, I have a tendency to overthink things
I tend to focus on a few specific interests of mine
STRONGLY AGREE123456STRONGLY DISAGREE
I value having cutting-edge technology
I enjoy traveling and discovering new things and places
I consider myself to be an intellectual
I have a tendency to buy things on impulse
What other people think of me is important
STRONGLY AGREE123456STRONGLY DISAGREE
BA6.
Please add any additional comments here:
BA7.
Microsurveys:
 From time to time, I will use single-question or extremely small microsurveys to gather information that was not directly relevant to the survey here (like "do you drive a car?" or "do you own your own website" or something like this). If you are willing to participate in these, enter your email address below and on occasion you will be randomly selected to receive one of these.

Your email address will NOT BE STORED WITH THE SURVEY RESULTS and I will be the only one who knows about it. This is, obviously, not obligatory.



Note that if you completed this survey last year, I have purged your E-mail from my records. If you want to be considered in the future, consider this your chance to re-enlist.
End Survey
Please review your answers to ensure that they are accurate. When you are satisfied, click below to submit this survey.