Connection Survey Results: When you hear the word “connect” or “connection”, what image or picture comes to mind?

ABOUT CONNECTION PERCEPTIONS: 

 In September 2008, I conducted a social survey to see if there were any patterns in a person's perception of what "connection" meant to them. I surmised that there was a link between their profile, attitude and behaviour towards connecting. 

 I posed a simple question to a random group of business colleagues, friends and family, aged between 18 to 80 years of age and from different regions globally. The question was: When you hear the word “connect” or “connection”, what image or picture comes to mind?. 

I asked respondents for a first-thing-that-comes-to-mind answer. I collected responses via a combination of email responses and face-to-face interviews. I received 130 survey responses and here are the results. Although there was a small percentage who suggested a mix, their first response was taken as their answer. 

The responses could be grouped into five broad areas:

There was the CLASSICAL image typified by responses such as nature, love, the universe, Viturvian Man and Michaelangelo’s Creation painting, which depicts the hand of God reaching out via a single finger to the finger of man.

The second category was CONCEPTUAL imagery, with responses such as puzzles, connecting dots and building blocks.

The third category was RELATIONAL depictions, which incorporated responses such as hands touching or hand shakes, people kissing/hugging, attraction, passion and lightning bolts/sparks.

The fourth category was PHYSICAL, with responses such as bridge, chains, links, wires, switches, power points, phone and ...sex!

Finally, STRUCTURAL, which has networks, process maps, family trees, DNA structures and organisation charts.

I am now analysing the results based on demographics and degree of connectedness. Those results will be available in the book I'm writing on the evolution of communication to connection and the considerations and challenges for society and business, due for release in February 2009.