Survey

Question 2

What is the process of questionnaire design?

Answer 2

• Decision about the survey content
• Decision about the question content
• Decision about the question format
• Decision about the question wording
• Decision about the question sequence
• Decision about the survey layout
• Pretest of the questionaire

Question 3

What is the decision necessary in survey content?

Answer 3

Survey content: decision about the construct that are addressed in th survey

• Need to focus –>Optimal questionaire length
• Survey content also depends on target group
• Consumers
• Decision makers in companies

Question 4

What are the techniques that can be used for the decision about the survey content?

Answer 4

Survey content:
- throrough familiaraization with the topic: What is already known
- Literature research: What control variables are commonly used?
- Prioriziation of research questions

Question 5

On what does the survey content depend upon?

Answer 5

Survey content

Need to focus –>Optimal questionaire length

Survey content also depends on target group
- Consumers
- Decision makers in companies

Question 6

What is the decision about question content about?

Answer 6

Question content: about the content of single questions/items

Question 7

What are important decisions in the decision about the question content?

Answer 7

Important decision: use of new or existing scales

– For many phenomena there are already established scales (e.g., established scales/ tests)

– Acceptance of new questions only in the case of novel phenomena or the existence
of unreliable measuring instruments

– Often: established scales are extended by additional, newly developed items

Important decision: Number of questions
– One question when it is possible to precisely word the question
(e.g., regarding demographic information, numbers)
– Multiple questions (scale) when the risk of random error is important (e.g., attitudes,
opinions, organizational characteristics)

Question 8

What is important to consider when considering invidiual items in a survey?

Answer 8

Deciding about items with respect to the target group
-> Established scales for measuring extraversion

Question 9

Question content: what are guidelines for scale development?

Answer 9

Guidelines for scale development:
– Ideally: four to six items
– Use the same expressions for the same issues
– Point out the necessity of repeating similar questions
– The entire width of the phenomenon should be covered by items (try to achieve representativeness

Question 10

What is the idea behind domain sampling?

Answer 10

central idea: Domain sampling:
For every phenomenon there is an infinite set of indicators
– Sampling theory can be applied to scale development (e.g., representativens)
– Remember:
Indicator resemblance (=high reliability) does not guarantee the
validity of measurement

Question 11

What are the two formats possible in the decision about the question format?

Answer 11

open-ended vs. closed questions

Open-ended: respondents can respond in any way they want

Closed-questions: respondents choose an answer from a given list

Question 12

What are the advantages of open-ended questions?

Answer 12

• participants can answer in their own way
• allows for unusual answers
• little prior knowledge of researcher necessary

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of open-ended questions?

Answer 13

• quantification difficult
• larger effort on the part of respondent needed, especially in the case of written surveys

Question 14

What are the advantages of closed questions?

Answer 14

• straightforward quantification
• simple to compare
• support in interpretation of questions
• allow for time-efficient question
  “batteries”

Question 15

What are the disadvantages of closed questions?

Answer 15

• loss of spontaneity
• completeness of answer categories often hard to achieve

Question 16

What are the 3 objectives in question wording?

Answer 16

Three objectives:
- Simplicity
- Unambiguousness
- Neutrality

Question 17

Question wording how achieving simplicity?

Answer 17

Rules for achieving simplicity:
– Short sentences (max. 15 words)
– No pyramiding (e.g., through relative clauses)
– Avoid negations
– Avoid foreign words, if possible
– Translate scientific or technical expressions in everyday language
– Computations should be done by the researcher!
– Avoid unnecessary variations in the format and structure of the questions

Question 18

Question wording how achieving unambiguousness?

Answer 18

Instructions for achieving unambiguousness:
– Avoid universal expressions (e.g., “all”, “always”)
– Avoid vague quantifiers (e.g., “often”, “many”)
– Separate the definition and the question
– Clearly define focal concepts
– Clearly define the time span to which the question relates
– Refer to only one issue
– Use the same words for the same issue

Question 19

Question wording how achieving neutrality?

Answer 19

Instructions for achieving neutrality:
- Avoid suggestive formulations
- No anticipation of answers (e.g., “Do you also agree?”)
- Avoid loaded words

Question 20

Question sequence, what iis importat about the cognitive process in survey response?

Answer 20

Survey Response as Cognitive Process:
- Attitudes are developed instantly during survey responses.
- Early questions activate information for later questions (potentially)
- Involves assimilation and contrasting processes.

Question 21

What is the typical effect of question sequence in survey about customer satisfaction?

Answer 21

Customer Satisfaction Surveys:

• Total satisfaction measured first leads to emotional dominance
• Measured last leads to cognitive dominance (depends on prior answers).

Order preference depends on product involvement:
- Low involvement: Measure satisfaction first.
- High involvement: Measure satisfaction last.

Question 22

What os the solution in question sequence to avoid biases?

Answer 22

Solutions to Biases:
- Randomize question order.
- Use “buffer” questions strategically.

Carfully design the sequence:
- Simple interesting openers, from general to specific
- demographics at the end, sensitive questions later.
- For high relevance of “demand effects,” assess dependent variable before the independent variable.

Question 23

Why is the question layout a critical sucess factor?

Answer 23

Layout of questionnaire as critical success factor:
- “should look as sharp as your résumé”
- Signals interest for the topic
- Signals researcher’s trustworthiness (important in the case of confidential questions)
- Facilitates completion of the questionnair

Question 24

What are elements of a careful layout?

Answer 24

Elements of a careful layout:
– Accuracy
– Clear and simple design
– Clear identification of researcher and survey objective
– High-quality paper and print (if printed)

Question 25

how to achieve the impression of short processing time?

Answer 25

Create the impression of short processing time:
– Do not order questions too densely
– Use readable letter size
– Clear instructions
– Clear visualization of the question flow

Question 26

What is a pretest?

Answer 26

Pretest: Testing of the questionnaire with selected / representative members of the sample

Question 27

What are the goals of a pretest?

Answer 27

Goals:
- Identification of ambiguous questions and problems of understanding
- Check for the completeness of answer categories
- Identification of potential information gaps among respondents
- Check the required time for completing the questionnaire
- First indication of validity and reliability of the measuremen

Question 28

What are the methods of pretests?

Answer 28

Methods:
– Debriefing: discussion after answering
– Protocol method: discussion during answering
– Think-aloud method: participants express all their thoughts while filling out the questionnaire
–>No best method

Question 29

What are the two methods of survey data collection?

Answer 29

Population of interest:

1.Census (complete population

2.Sample (out of the population)

Question 30

What are the two sampling methods?

Answer 30

1.Nonprobability sampling
2.Random selection (probability sampling)

Question 31

What are the different methods of random selection (probability samplng)

Answer 31

• Simple random sampling: randomly select 10% out of all
• Stratified sampling: divide in two groups (A) and (B) and select 10% from each
• Cluster sampling: Create clusters consisting of A and B, that differ between
• Multi-stage sampling: combination of different methods

Question 32

What are the methods of Nonprobability sampling?

Answer 32

• Convenience sampling: contact people most convenient (family, friends)
• Quota sampling: goal reach quota=50%, quota needs to be achieved –>difference to straitified)
• Snowball sampling: ask suitable people to spread the survey wiithin thier network
• Sampling based on typicality: specifc targets are selectes, select individually who participates