Quantitative methods- Survays

Question 1

What is the survey method?

Answer 1

primary quantitative that produces produces quantitative data
Can be administered in different ways and can contain open and closed q’s

Question 2

Open questions in survey?

Answer 2

produces a more in depth and better at discovering complex feelings, meanings and motives

Question 3

Closed questions in a survey?

Answer 3

more common on surveys as it produces statical data and analyse the analyse the answers

Question 4

What are the 4 different methods of administering a survey?

Answer 4

Face to face (structured interviews)
Telephone
Postal
Internet

Question 5

Method of administering survey- Face to face advantages

Answer 5

More valid as we can fully explain q’s

Question 6

Method of administering survey- Face to face disadvantages

Answer 6

Asks leading q’s
Interviewer affects’ (pressure from interviewer to ask questions a certain way)
-Can’t do as many interviews

Question 7

Method of administering survey- Telephone advantages?

Answer 7

Can explain q’s so more valid
-Representative of the population
-More comfortable
-Takes less time

Question 8

Method of administering survey- Telephone disadvantages?

Answer 8

Asking leading q’s
Don’t know if person you think could be the person you think
Social desirability

Question 9

Method of administering survey- Postal advantages

Answer 9

Representatives
Larger sample
Not expensive as your not travelling round to meet people

Question 10

Method of administering survey- Postal disadvantages?

Answer 10

Can’t explain q’s- invalid
Can be ignored

Question 11

Method of administering survey- Internet advantages

Answer 11

A larger sample
Costs less

Question 12

Method of administering survey- Internet disadvantages

Answer 12

Can’t explain q’s- invalid
Ignored and can be deleted
Only motivated people so unrepresentative

Question 13

What are the requirements for a questionnaire?

Answer 13

-Avoid oversimplication
-Avoiding leading questions
-Be specific
-Keeping simple language
-Avoiding emotive language
-Keeping it short

Question 14

Weeknesses of questionaires?

Answer 14

Response rate
Operationalise
Validyu

Question 15

Weekness questionaires- Reasons for low response rate?

Answer 15

-Respondents better education then others so unrepresentative
-Language barrier (complex vocab)
-Subject matter may be sensitive
-Social desirability
-Same respondents may fear criticisms or repercussion if completing a question

Question 16

Response rate- Bryman 2008 social desirability?

Answer 16

May family’s with overweight children will refuse to take part in the department of healths study in weight

Question 17

How can response rate be improved- Edwards?

Answer 17

If a financial incentive is offered
Short q’s
Coloured ink
Stamped adress envelope included
Questionaires from university’s
Repeat contact made

Question 18

Weekness if social survays- Operationslising?

Answer 18

Making something measurable by adding more detail e.g. equality in the family would be hours spent on domestic tasks e.g. cooking cleaning washing or laundry
This is a weaknesses as different researcher have different measuring category’s as it’s not the same

Question 19

Weekness of social survays- Validty?

Answer 19

How accurate/truthful
People may have social desirability e.g. fearing what teh public may think if they choose something out of the norms
-Screw you or please you (census 0.7% of population asked in religion and they said Jedi)
-We don’t know who answered questionnaire
-We don’t know if the questions been understood

Question 20

Example of lack of validity in surveys e.g. The scrounging piresans

Answer 20

TÁRKI, a social reaserch centre in hungary, did survays asking about immigrants in the nation of piresa. The responded said that 68% should not be let in country (seen as scroungers)
Most people said hat those who lived in hungary should be immideiety be sent back to Piresa
The problem was their isn’t a country called Perisa so this survey sparked the question on weather people actually are truthful in survays

Question 21

Strengths of social survays?

Answer 21

-Practicle
-Ethical
-Reliable
-Validty
-Represenative
-Theoretical

Question 22

Strengths of survays- Practicle

Answer 22

It’s quick and easy to quantify (high response from structured interviews)

Question 23

Strengths of social surveys ethical ?

Answer 23

Ethical- Can withdrawal whenever as they can throw away
Easy for respondents to opt out and not answer questions

Question 24

Strengths of social surveys- Reliable?

Answer 24

Easy to repeat and to check the results or compare in a longitudinal study

Question 25

Strengths of social survay- Validty?

Answer 25

If anonymous respondents, then they may tell the truth
In structured interviews they can explain q’s aswell

Question 26

Strengths of social- Representative?

Answer 26

Large sample size allows for generalisation

Question 27

Strengths of social surveys- Theoretical?

Answer 27

Positivists prefer this as they as scientific testable and macro
Can also be detailed objective being unbias

Question 28

Examples of government survays?

Answer 28

The census
The CSEW

Question 29

What is the Census? govt survays

Answer 29

A postal questionnaire sent to all households (every 10 years) and must be completed by the law

Question 30

Govt survays- The CSEW?

Answer 30

Crime surveys for england and wales- Structured interview and questionaires with approx 50,000 people per year asking if they have been victims of crime and their views on the criminal justice system

Question 31

4 sociologist for sociological reaserch?

Answer 31

Wilmott and Young
Sue Sharpe
Shere Hite
Connor and Dewson

Question 32

Sociological reaserch- Willmott and Young?

Answer 32

use structured interview in reaserch into extended family in east london
From main sample 987 people only 54 refused the interview
As sample was large it was difficult to interview them all their selves so other interviewers were employed and trained for the job
Interviewer had to ask standardised questions and circle the appropriate response depending on answer given
Interview took between 10-30 minutes

Question 33

Sociological reaserch- Sue Sharpe?

Answer 33

Looked at female aspiration in year 10 girls
Started using social surveys but half way through decided this wasn’t as in-depth as she wanted so used unstructured interviews

Question 34

Sociological reaserch- Sheri hite?

Answer 34

Study on love passion and emotional violence and sent out 100,000 questionaires in the US to only get 4.5% returned

Question 35

Sociological reaserch? Connor and Dewson?

Answer 35

Posted almost 4000 questionaires to students at 14 higher education institutions around the country and asked about the decision of working class students to attend uni