Chapter 6 - Surveys and Observations: Describing What People Do

Question 1

Survey

Answer 1

A method of posing questions to people on the telephone, in personal interviews, on written questionnaires, or via the Internet. Also called poll. (page 154)

Question 2

Poll

Answer 2

A method of posing questions to people on the telephone, in personal interviews, on written questionnaires, or via the Internet. Also called survey. (page 154)

Question 3

Open-ended question

Answer 3

A survey question format that allows respondents to answer any way they like. (page 154)

Question 4

Forced-choice question

Answer 4

A survey question format in which respondents give their opinion by picking the best of two or more options. (page 154)

Question 5

Likert scale

Answer 5

A survey question format using a rating scale containing multiple response options anchored by the specific terms strongly agree,agree,neither agree nor disagree,disagree, andstrongly disagree. A scale that does not follow this format exactly is called a Likert-type scale. (page 155)

Question 6

Semantic differential format

Answer 6

A survey question format using a response scale whose numbers are anchored with contrasting adjectives. (page 155)

Question 7

Leading question

Answer 7

A type of question in a survey or poll that is problematic because its wording encourages one response more than others, thereby weakening its construct validity. (page 156)

Question 8

Double-barreled question

Answer 8

A type of question in a survey or poll that is problematic because it asks two questions in one, thereby weakening its construct validity. (page 157)

Question 9

Negatively worded question

Answer 9

A question in a survey or poll that contains negatively phrased statements, making its wording complicated or confusing and potentially weakening its construct validity. (page 157)

Question 10

Response set

Answer 10

A shortcut respondents may use to answer items in a long survey, rather than responding to the content of each item. Also called non-differentiation. (page 160)

Question 11

Acquiescence

Answer 11

Answering “yes” or “strongly agree” to every item in a survey or interview. Also called yea-saying. (page 160)

Question 12

Fence sitting

Answer 12

Playing it safe by answering in the middle of the scale for every question in a survey or interview. (page 161)

Question 13

Socially desirable responding

Answer 13

Giving answers on a survey (or other self-report measure) that make one look better than one really is. Also called faking good. (page 162)

Question 14

Faking good

Answer 14

Giving answers on a survey (or other self-report measure) that make one look better than one really is. Also called socially desirable responding. (page 162)

Question 15

Faking bad

Answer 15

Giving answers on a survey (or other self-report measure) that make one look worse than one really is. (page 162)

Question 16

Observational research

Answer 16

The process of watching people or animals and systematically recording how they behave or what they are doing. (page 165)

Question 17

Observer bias

Answer 17

A bias that occurs when observer expectations influence the interpretation of participant behaviors or the outcome of the study. (page 169)

Question 18

Observer effect

Answer 18

A change in behavior of study participants in the direction of observer expectations. Also called expectancy effect. (page 169)

Question 19

Masked design

Answer 19

A study design in which the observers are unaware of the experimental conditions to which participants have been assigned. Also called blind design. (page 172)

Question 20

Reactivity

Answer 20

A change in behavior of study participants (such as acting less spontaneously) because they are aware they are being watched. (page 172)

Question 21

Unobtrusive observation

Answer 21

An observation in a study made indirectly, through physical traces of behavior, or made by someone who is hidden or is posing as a bystander. (page 172)