Questionnaires Flashcards
what is a questionnaire?
a research instrument consisting of a series of Qs for the purpose of gathering info from respondents
what can a questionnaire also be thought of as?
a written interview
how can a questionnaire be carried out?
via:
- phone
- online
- post
- face to face
2 pros of questionnaires
1) provide a relatively quick, cheap and efficient way of obtaining large amounts of info from a large sample of people- larger the sample the more rep, the more rep the more able we are to generalise findings
2) data can be collected quickly because researcher doesn’t need to be there while they’re being completed- useful for large pops where interviews= impractical
a con of questionnaires
1) respondents may LIE due to SOCIAL DESIRABILITY BIAS
what is social desirability bias?
most want to present a +ve image of themselves so may lie to look good
what types of questions do questionnaires ask of their participants?
BOTH open-ended and closed Qs
it’s beneficial as it means both qualitative & quantitative data can be obtained
what are closed Qs?
whereby the answer is structured by only allowing responses which fit into pre- decided categories/ on scales
what two types of data can closed Qs collect?
1) nominal
2) ordinal
what is nominal data?
data that can be placed into a category
the category can be:
- restricted to as FEW as 2 options (Y/N, M/F)
- OR include complex lists of alternatives to choose from (polytomous)
define polytomous
multiple branches
what is ordinal data?
data that can be ranked
often includes a continuous rating scale to measure the strength of attitudes/ emotions= i.e. a Likert Scale
what have closed Qs been used for?
to:
1) research Type A personality (Friedman & Rosenman, 1974)
2) assess life events which may cause stress (Holmes & Rahe, 1967)
3) attachment (Fraley et al, 2000)
Strength (CQ): can be economical
this means they can provide large amounts of data for relatively LOW costs
thus a large sample size can be obtained which should be REPRESENTATIVE of the pop, which a researcher can then GENERALISE from
Strength (CQ): easily converted into quantitative data
allows statistical analysis of the responses
Strength (CQ): standardised
all respondents are asked EXACTLY the same Qs in exactly the same order
means it can be REPLICATED EASILY to check for reliability
thus a 2nd researcher can use it to check that results= consistent
LIMITATION (CQ): lack detail
because responses= FIXED, there’s LESS SCOPE for respondents to supply answers which reflect their true feelings on a topic
what are open Qs
they allow people to express what they think in as much detail as they like in their own words
when might i want to use OQs?
- if i wanted to gather MORE in-depth answers from my respondents
- if i had more COMPLEX Qs that can’t be answered in a few categories, but require more detail & discussion
example of a complex Q
- Lawrence Kohlberg
- presented his PPs w/ moral dilemmas
Kohlberg and Heinz
Heinz faced with choice of whether to watch wife die of cancer or steal the only drug that can save her
PPs were asked whether he should steal the drug or not, and more importantly WHY upholding/ breaking the law= RIGHT
1 strength of OQs?
- rich qualitative data is obtained as they allow the respondent to ELABORATE on their answer
- means that the researcher can find out WHY a person holds a certain attitude
2 Cons of OQs concerning its TIME- CONSUMING NATURE
1) time-consuming to COLLECT data
- takes longer for respondent to complete OQs- problem= smaller sample size may be obtained
2) time consuming to ANALYSE data- as they have to read the answers and try to put them into categories by CODING- can be subjective & difficult
Who wrote a book solving the time consuming issue of analysing OQ data?
Smith (1992)
devoted an entire book dedicated to the issues of THEMATIC CONTENT ANALYSIS, which includes 14 different scoring systems for open Qs
1 Con of OQs concerning differing education levels
- NOT suitable for LESS educated respondents as open Qs require superior writing skills & a better ability to express one’s feelings verbally
Why is it essential a questionnaire is well designed?
Some suffer a response rate as low as 5%
6 Factors to consider when designing a questionnaire
1) AIMS
2) LENGTH
3) PILOT STUDY
4) QUESTION ORDER
5) TERMINOLOGY
6) PRESENTATION
design: factor 1) AIMS
- make sure ALL Qs ADDRESS the aims of the research
- HOWEVER, only use 1 feature of the construct you’re investigating per item
design: factor 2) LENGTH
- LONGER it is, the LESS LIKELY people will complete it
- Qs should be short & concise; any unnecessary Qs should be omitted
design: factor 3) PILOT STUDY
- run a small scale PRACTICE study to ensure people understand the Qs
- people will be able to give detailed, honest feedback on the design
design: factor 4) QUESTION ORDER
- they should progress logically from
1) LEAST to MOST SENSITIVE
2) the FACTUAL & BEHAVIOURAL to the COGNITIVE
3) the MORE GENERAL to the MORE SPECIFIC
design: factor 5) TERMINOLOGY
1) limit technical jargon- Qs should be simple and concise
2) the language should be APPROPRIATE to the vocab of the group being studied
3) use statements which are interpreted in the SAME WAY by members of DIFFERENT SUBGROUPS of the pop of interest
design: factor 6) PRESENTATION
- ensure it looks PROFESSIONAL
- include clear & concise instructions so NOT mistaken for JUNK MAIL
ethical issues: CONFIDENTIALITY
- researcher must ensure info given is kept confidential, e.g. address, name, etc
- means they’re good for researching SENSITIVE topics as they’ll be MORE HONEST when they can’t be identified
- also reduces likelihood of any psych harm, such as embarrassment
ethical issues: INFORMED CONSENT
- must provide it PRIOR to completing it
- must be made aware that they’ve the RIGHT TO WITHDRAW @ ANY time
2 problems w/ postal questionnaires
1) data might be INVALID (not truthful) as we can never be sure whether the right person completed it
2) also PQs may be UNREPRESENTATIVE of the target pop because:
- some may be lost in post: reducing sample size
- may be completed by someone who’s NOT a member of the research pop
- those w/ STRONG VIEWS on the subject= more likely to complete it than those w/ feeble interest
what is a pilot study?
A practice/ small- scale study conducted BEFORE the main study
allows the researcher to try out the study with a FEW participants so that ADJUSTMENTS can be made BEFORE the main study= saving time & $$
4 reasons why it’s important to conduct a questionnaire PS
1) check that they understand the terminology used
2) check EMOTIVE Qs have NOT been used= makes people defensive- could invalidate their As
3) check that leading Qs not used= could BIAS the answer
4) ensure that it can be completed in an APPROPRIATE TIME FRAME (i.e. not too long)
