:\ "\'l1lI'ari~~ol1 uC sightl'rs ;1!1(1 1l0Ilsi)~ltr('rs sholVs tJwt sip,brers arc
II11Hl' lndilll',1 Il) ~;;l." t":lt fJyill): S:tIICl'r~; :1;'(' real, 7(,':, of the sii~lit;:rs
:b ,'Ol11l'ill'l'd h'itll '\(.';' nf till' 11 c;allur; data Il1dicatc the foll()\o/jng:
(11 ~lost Aml'r;':ans, ()()~" have !leaI'd of flying saUl~ers.
(2) About 5°" of the population claim to have seen a flying saucer.
(Y1 About one-half of the population feel that they are real.
(,ll Ab(\'1t one-third feel that there are people on other planets.
(S) !'oo"le Ivho are hetter educated are more likely to have heard
of flying saucers,
(61 Sighters do not differ from nOl1sighte.rs with respect to
cducatil'll, region of the country, age, 01' sex.
C~) J\gc, s('\, Gnu l'l,lucation all appear to be rc1:ltcd to whether
flyil1,l', S:1u-:crs :Ire con~;iJere<.l to he red] or imllginary. That
is, \"oun,l',er 1'l'1'SOn5, WOl1lcn, and tho~;e who are hetter e<.lucatcd
tend to he more inclined than. older persons, men, ;:Ind the Jc~;s
L'uucatL'd, respectively, to consider flying S~ll1ccrs to be real.
U~) ,\gc, education, and respondent's region of tlte country arrear
to be related to Ivhcthel' it seems possible that there arc people
on other planets in the universe, 'nwt is, younger persons,
those I,ho arc hetter educated, and individuals from the Last,
~1i'III'cst. and \~est arc morc inc1 incJ than olLieI' persons, the
less Ivell educated, and those who rcsi de in the South to
think that thcrl' arc "people s0111c\Vhat Ii ke ourselves on oth cr
planets ill the universe."
Till' finJings of Scott (19()()) provide a different kind of infor1llut:iOl,
rll'out the' inn'st igat i Oil of at titudes n.'f~ardj ng UFOs. Iii s ':fuJy Iv,JS
(Olh'('l'lll',j ,lith till' 1'1'0\11,,'111 Df all indiviJual':; puhlic association with
UI=,\ pIH'Il\)/l1l'I1'l. IIl'I.':!llSl' it j~'_ cOlllmonly said tl1:Jt pCOpJI' \Vill 110t report
;I fl:1'i ll~: S;IlIL'l'I' bl'ellls!' they are rl'I\1ctal1t to he i1~;SO',: i ated \OJi til SII"h
a contro\'ersial topic, 11L' undertook a smalL study to dct:ct'lilinc I... hethel'
inllividuills \,oulll hl' less iill~lill<.'d to indicatl' acquaii,hilce -,·,ith the
p!leno!1lc!l,J tlllJer public t)liIl1 under privat~ conditions.
323
,\ ""lIIl'arl~;llll llf si,r;iltt'r..; ;1!l<1 1l0Ilsi)'.IltC'rs S/HlI'IS t1lilt si!~h(('rs arc
IIh))'l' illc'tille',! (tl :;al (hilt fJ\'ill~', '-'allc<.'r:; ;In' rcal, 7(,':, of the' siv,llt;;rs
:1:, c'01ll1';ll','d "'ith ,It.';, nr tilt' Ihlm;i,~ht(')'s, lind that ti1(,,,,· arc p('oplc Oil
(,:11.:1' pl;lIlets, ;;1':, as l'\)IIIjHl1'L'd with :)Ij':"
In S1l1l1I1lar~', t.hl' analysis of the 1966 C;allur; uata IllIlicate the follo.ling:
(11 ~Io~t Aml'ri.: ans, ""~" have heard of flying saucers.
(2) About 5°0 of the population claim to have seen a flying saucer.
(:;1 About one-half of the population feel that they "TC teal,
(,II Abl\·q ullc-third feel that thel'e Glre people on other planets.
(S) Peo"[€' "ho are hett.er educated arc more likely to have heard
of flying saucers.
((1) Sigll ters do not differ from nonsighters with respect to
~'duc:ltj('n, l'cgioll of the country, age, 01' sex.
C~) ,\)<t', S(,\, rlild l'I,lucation all appear to be rcLltcd to l;'hC'ther
flying S;lllcers :Ire con:;iJcrcd to be redl or imaginary. That
is, \'OIl!1gCI' lwl'sons, \\IOIllCn, and tho~;~ whD are hetter educated
tl'l\d to he InLlre inclined 'Lhar\ older rcr:<ons, men, ,me! the 10<;5
L'dm'atl'd, J'l'SI1l'('tivcly, to consider flying S<'lIccrs to be rO;l!.
(.') :\g~', educcttion, and respondent's region of the country appel1T
to l,l' relatcd to whethcr it seems possi.ble that there are people
on Dther planet:; in the universe. 'l1wt is, younger rerson~,
thost' \;ho (Ire helt"r educated, and indivi(ilwls from tIll! I:ast,
~1i'1I\'os t, and \~l'S tare morc in c1 in cd til an 01 der persolls, the
less ",oIl eJucnted, and those who ros.iclc in the South to
thi.n),., that thCl'(' IlrC "people s('\l1lcII'hat like ourselves on otile)'
planets ill :11(' ulliveJ'sc."
Till' finuin!-;s of Scott (l9ul1) Jlrovide a uiffercnt kInd of infoJ'lIIa t ior,
;',l'out tilt' inH'stigation of IJltitudcs regarding IIFOs. Ilis ·:,tuJy \"jS
(OIl"('1'lIl'd I,ith till' 1'1'0\11','111 of all indiviuual':; pllhlic as~;oci:ltion l\,ith
l.lhl pIH'I1<)IIIl'I1:1, 11I.'l'CIlIS<' il j,", C[)1I11110/1])' said t1l:Jt fleopl\· ,;il1 110t report
:I fl!'iJl)! ~;llI,'l'I' b"l';IIlSC they lire J'l'llll·tallt tD he w;so',~iall'd \;ith slI"h
a contrevL'rsial topic, 11L' undertOOK II smlill ';tudy to det:Cl'llIiIlC "hethel'
illclivi'\l1;\l~ 1'0111,1 \1l' less i11 r:l.illed to Inti i catL' Ilcqllai;J';'Il'1' ,·./ith tile,
I'hellOI1lt'lu tlllJCI' public tl1l1l1 ullu('r privat~ conditions.