Over the last few months, I have stopped keeping track of the data that I have collected. I know that I have had more than 1,000 respondents but as the pattern of data is so predictable, I decided to shift my angle. In the past, the gist of my research was, "Does knowing more about Islam make you happier?". 75% generally said yes, 25% said there was no change. This semester, I am giving the same assignment but with a slightly different question. The new question is, "Does knowing more about Islam increase your eeman?". Eeeman is the Muslim's faith in God. It is generally defined as believing in the pillars of Islam and acting according to these beliefs.
If the statistics are the same, then there is a correlation between eeman and happiness. If the statistics are not the same, then it is possible that people's eeman increases without it translating automatically as an increase in their level of happiness. I guess that all this while, I have been looking for data that confirmed my beliefs rather than trying to falsify my beliefs. I should listen more often to Karl Popper.
