Ch. 5 Survey Research

Question 1

Population

Answer 1

a set of all cases of interest

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

a subset of the population used to represent the entire population

Question 3

Element

Answer 3

each member of a population

Question 4

Sampling frame

Answer 4

list of the members of a population

• characteristics of participants in sample should be similar to those of the entire population

Question 5

Biased sample

Answer 5

occurs when characteristics of the sample differ systematically from those of the population

• samples can overrepresent or underrepresent a segment of a population

Question 6

Selection bias

Answer 6

occurs when a researcher’s procedures for selecting a sample result in one or more segments of the population being under - or overrepresented

Question 7

Response-rate bias

Answer 7

occurs when individuals selected for the initial sample do not complete and return the survey (lack of interest, worried about privacy, don’t have time)

Question 8

Ways to increase response rate

Answer 8

• questionnaire has a personal touch
• responding requires minimal effort
• topic of survey is interesting to respondents
• respondents identify with organization or sponsor of survey

Question 9

Nonprobability sampling

Answer 9

no guarantee each member of population has an equal chance to be in sample

Question 10

connivence sampling

Answer 10

researcher selects individuals who are available and willing to respond to the survey (magazine surveys, call-in radio surveys)

Question 11

Probability sampling

Answer 11

all members of population have an equal chance of being selected for the survey

simple random sample: random digit dialing
stratified random sample: equal number of freshman, sophomores, juniors, seniors

Question 12

Four survey methods

Answer 12

mail surveys, internet surveys, telephone surveys, personal interviews

Question 13

Mail surveys

Answer 13

advantages: quick, convenient, self-administered, best for highly personal or embarrassing topics
disadvantages: problem of response rate, little control over how people respond to the questions

Question 14

Personal interviews

Answer 14

advantages: researchers gain more control over how survey is administered, interviewers can seek clarification of answers, ask questions
disadvantages: possible interviewer bias, interviews are costly; interviewers must be highly motivated, carefully trained, supervised

Question 15

Telephone interviews

Answer 15

advantages: complete brief survey efficiently and with greater access to population, random-digit dialing to select random samples, supervise interviewers easily
disadvantages: no phone or multiple phone numbers, willingness to answer questions on phone, changes in survey questions and responses

Question 16

Internet surveys

Answer 16

advantages: efficient, low-cost, potential for very large samples, samples can be very diverse and access typically underrepresented samples
disadvantages: access to internet, willingness to respond, lack of control over research environment

Question 17

Cross-sectional survey design

Answer 17

select sample from one or more populations at one time

• choose population of interest
• use probability sampling or convenience sampling
• respondents complete a survey one time

Question 18

Successive independent samples design

Answer 18

a series of cross-sectional designs over time

• a different sample from the population completes the survey each time (can see how a population changes over time)

Question 19

Longitudinal survey design

Answer 19

same sample of individuals completes the survey at different points in time

• can assess how individuals change over time ( and populations)

Question 20

Questionnaires

Answer 20

most frequently used to collect survey data, measure different types of variables (demographic variables using checklists, preferences and attitudes)

Question 21

Guidelines for writing survey questions

Answer 21

Choose how participants will respond
- free-response (open ended)
- closed-response (multiple choice, true-false)
Use simple, familiar vocabulary; keep questions short
Write clear and specific questions
- avoid double-barreled questions
- avoid conditional phrases at the end of sentences
- avoid leading questions
- avoid loaded )emotion-laded) questions
Ordering of questions
- self-administered questionnaires (most interesting questions first)
- use funnel questions (start with general questions then move to more specific ones)
- use filter questions (direct respondents to appropriate questions)

Question 22

Test-retest reliability

Answer 22

• administer measure two times to same sample
• individuals’ scores should be consistent over time
• a high correlation between the two sets of scores indicates good test-retest reliability (r > .80)
• individuals’ scores need not be identical each time, only same place in the distribution of scores

Question 23

How to improve reliability?

Answer 23

• more items
• greater variability among individuals on the factor being measured
• testing situation free of distractions
• clear instructions

a measure can be reliable but not valid

Question 24

Convergent validity

Answer 24

extent to which two measures of the same construct are correlated

Question 25

discriminant validity

Answer 25

extent to which two measures of different constructs are not correlated

Question 26

First steps to constructing a questionnaire

Answer 26

• decide what information should be sought
• decide what type of questionnaire to administer
• write a first draft of the questionnaire
• have experts review questionnaire and then revise it based on their suggestions
• pretest the questionnaire using sample and conditions similar to the planned administration of the survey
• review results and edit the questionnaire