Survey Methods Flashcards
Descriptive Survey
- Descriptive <> Describe %
- Researcher seeks to determine what percentage of the population has a certain characteristic, holds a certain opinion, or engages in a particular behavior.
- Do you approve of how president Bush is handling the war in Iraq?
- Ex: What percent of the population…?
Analytic Survey
•Analytic <> Associated Variables
•Researcher seeks to determine relevant variables and how they might be related.
•What factors are involved in the experience of depression.
Ex: What are the factors associated with …?
Two Types of Surveys
- Descriptive
2. Analytic
Five Types of Survey Questions
- Yes-No Questions
- Forced Alternative Questions
- Multiple Choice Questions
- Likert-Type Scales
- Open-Ended Questions
Yes-No Questions
Have only Yes or No answers
Ex: The thought of death seldom enters my mind? Yes or No
Forced Alternative Questions
Only get two options at the polar extremes from each other and must choose one or the other.
Ex a: There are institutions in our society that have considerable control over me.
Ex b: Little in this world controls me. I usually do what I decide to do.
Locust of Control
Internal Locust: Whether or not we have control over things
External Locust: Whether things have control over me (Luck, outside influences).
Terror Management Theory
We are all aware on some level that we are going to die.
If you make one aware that you are dying you will become more racist.
Fear of dying -> in group focus. Don’t like people outside our group.
Multiple Choice Questions
Compared to the average student:
A. I give much more effort
B. I give an average amount of effort
C. I give less effort
Likert-Type Scales
Usually 5, 7 points. A point value scale for characteristics.
Ex: I enjoy social gatherings to be with people:
1. Not at all Characteristic
2. …
3. …
4. …
5. Very Characteristic
Open-Ended Questions
Not Yes or No questions
Ex 1: How would you summarize your chief problems in your own words?
Ex 2: Describe what you did today?
Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Survey Questions
- Avoid Leading Questions
- Avoid Social Desirability Bias
- Avoid Double-Barreled Questions
- Avoid Long Questions
- Avoid Negation
- Avoid Big Words
- Avoid Words That May Be Misinterpreted
Avoid Leading Questions
A question that leads participant to the answer you want.
Ex: You disapprove of the biased, horrible way that television news covers the abortion issue, don’t you?
Avoid Social Desirability Bias
Socially correct answers.
Ex: Do you donate money to worthwhile causes?
Avoid Double-Barreled Questions
Asking two questions at once; two factors in same question.
Ex: How much do you agree with the following statement:
Colleges need to spend more time on students emotional AND physical development.
Avoid Long Questions
No more than 10 words.
Avoid Negation
Negative sentence format.
Ex 1: Do you NOT LIKE it when students DON’T STUDY?
Ex 2: Do you LIKE it when students STUDY?
Avoid Big Words
Keep questions at a fourth grade reading level.
Avoid Words That May Be Misinterpreted
Ex: Junk food: could have lots of different meanings to lots of different people.
Pretesting
Bring in, Look at Questions
Bring in participants, give them the questions, and ask to critique them
On target audience.
Order of Questions
1. Put personal questions last So people will answer. So you don't change how people answer. (stereotype threat) 2. Put demographic questions last 3. Keep similar questions together. 4. Be aware if response sets.
Response Sets
When survey participants do not answer questions truthfully.
1a: Acquiescence
1b: Nay-Saying
2a: Social Desirability
2b: Faking Bad
3a: Extremity
3b: Cop-Out
4a: Inconsistent
4b: Fabrication
Acquiescence
Tendency to answer Yes or True
• Always Yes/True
Nay-Saying
Tendency to answer No or False
•Always No/False
•Avoid by using Reverse Coding, changing wording on questions.
