Lecture 5

Question 1

surveys

Answer 1

research method involving the use of standardized questionnaires or interviews to collect data about people and their preferences, thoughts, and behaviors in a systematic manner

Question 2

uses of surveys

Answer 2

• population census
• electoral polls - voter preference/behavior
• public consultation - citizens’ preferences and opinions
• community needs assessment
• program/policy evaluation
• research - to understand social phenomena in a specific religion or group
• marketing

Question 3

variable

Answer 3

a characteristic in a population that a researcher measures and investigates in relation to other characteristics

Question 4

what are categorical variables

Answer 4

variables that can be placed in a category

Question 5

what are the types of categorical variables

Answer 5

• nominal variable
• ordinal variable

Question 6

what is a nominal variable

Answer 6

categorical variables that have no natural ordering
ex. degree (‘psychology’)

Question 7

what is an ordinal variable

Answer 7

categorical variable that have some kind of natural ordering but the difference between levels is not exact/equal

Question 8

what are measurement/quantitative variables

Answer 8

variables for which you can record a numerical value and then order respondents

Question 9

what are the types of measurement/quantitative variables

Answer 9

• ratio
• interval

Question 10

what are ratio variables

Answer 10

variables you can order in relation to the foundation of ‘zero’ like age, number of children, years of education, etc.

Question 11

what are interval variables

Answer 11

variables you can order using numbers, but not in relation to zero
ex. time, dates, temp

Question 12

operationalization

Answer 12

the process of moving from an idea to the development of a specific measurement that will result in an empirical indicator

Question 13

what is an open question

Answer 13

respondents can answer in their own words, and researcher can learn something they didn’t already know; however, answers require interpretation and are more difficult to statistically analyze

Question 14

what is a closed question

Answer 14

respondent given a list of alternatives from which to choose an answer. answers are much easier to statistically analyze. however, researcher could miss something important that they hadn’t thought about

Question 15

things to avoid in the construction of survey questions

Answer 15

1. unclear questions and words
2. double-barreled questions
3. questions that your respondents are not able to answer
4. long questions or statements
5. negative questions
6. biased questions

Question 16

additional tips when constructing a survey

Answer 16

1. organize survey around key themes for ease of flow
2. begin with clear instructions; introduce sections
3. define terms that may be confusing
4. ask more than one question for a given variable
5. always pretest the questionnaire

Question 17

what is a valid measurement

Answer 17

one that actually measures what it claims to measure

Question 18

what is a reliable measure

Answer 18

one that will give you approximately the same result again and again when taken on the same object or individual

Question 19

why should variability across measures be expected

Answer 19

1. natural variability across different individuals
2. natural variability in a characteristic of an individual across time
3. measurement error: variability produced because of measuring device is unreliable; it is the amount by which a measurement differs from the true value

Question 20

what is population

Answer 20

the entire collection of units about which we want information

Question 21

what is a sample

Answer 21

the collection of units we actually measure/acquire information about

Question 22

what is a representative sample

Answer 22

a subset of a population that is included in your research study; it should ‘reflect’ the characteristics of the population

Question 23

what is probability sampling

Answer 23

sampling method by which everyone in the population has the same specified chance of making it into the sample

Question 24

what is a simple random sample

Answer 24

a sample in which every conceivable group of people of the required size has the same change of being the selected sample

Question 25

what is a stratified sample

Answer 25

a stratified sample is collected by first dividing the population of people into groups (strata) and then taking a simple random sample from each group

Question 26

what is a cluster sample

Answer 26

a cluster sample is collected by taking a random sample of groups (clusters) then within the group/clusters selected, you survey everyone

Question 27

what are some difficulties in sampling

Answer 27

1. using the wrong sample frame / wrong list
2. not reaching individuals selected
3. low response rates
4. using a volunteer sample
5. using convenience sample

Question 28

what is margin of error

Answer 28

margin of error is a statistical tool that tries to measure the accuracy of your sample presuming you have properly conducted a probability sample

Question 29

what happens to margin of error as you increase sample size

Answer 29

as sample size is increased the margin of error decreases