Questionnaires

Question 1

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 1

A series of open and closed questions designed to gather information about a certain topic that provides both quantitative and qualitative data

Question 2

What types of questions are asked in questionnaires?

Answer 2

• Open
• Closed

Question 3

What is an open question?

Answer 3

A question that has no set answer and is open to many responses that produces qualitative data

e.g What is the meaning of life?

Question 4

What is a closed question?

Answer 4

A question that has a predetermined answer that produces quantitative data

e.g What is 2 + 2?

Question 5

What the 3 types of closed questions?

Answer 5

• Multiple choice
• Ranked scale
• Likert scale

Question 6

What is a ‘self-completion’ questionnaire?

Answer 6

A series of open and closed questions that are filled in by the respondent without input from the researcher.

Question 7

What are 3 strengths of self-completion questionnaires?

Answer 7

• High validity: no interviewer bias
• High ethics: Easier to cover sensitive topics
• High generalisability: fast and relatively cheap

Question 8

What are 3 weaknesses of self-completion questionnaires?

Answer 8

• Low generalisability: low response rate
• Low validity: increased possibility of misunderstanding with no interviewer to explain
• Low validity: open to social desirability and acquiescence bias

Question 9

What is a ‘postal’ questionnaire?

Answer 9

A series of open and closed questions that are sent to respondents in the post

Question 10

What are 2 strengths of postal questionnaires?

Answer 10

1) High generalisability - large, geographically dispersed sample
2) High validity - anonymous sample reduces potential for social desirability

Question 11

What are 3 weakness of postal questionnaires?

Answer 11

• Low generalisability: low response rate
• Low validity: uncertainty of the right person filling out the questionnaire
• Time taken to receive results back is long

Question 12

What is a pilot study?

Answer 12

A preliminary, small-scale study carried out to assess potential issues with the main study

Question 13

What are 3 strengths of pilot studies?

Answer 13

• High validity: allows for checking ppts understand
• High ethics: checks that emotive questions don’t cause defensive bias in responses
• Saves time and money due to fixing issues that may arise in the main study

Question 14

What are 2 evaluation points in terms of generalisability of questionnaires?

Question 15

What are 2 evaluation points in terms of reliability of questionnaires?

Question 16

What are 2 evaluation points in terms of validity of questionnaires?