Unit 6: Non-Experimental Research: Survey Research Flashcards
Population
the whole group of interest to the researcher
Sample
a small portion of the population that is selected to conduct the study with. They must be representative of the population for results to be externally valid (generalizable)
Sampling frame
method of selecting a sample from the population
Element
each individual that falls within the sampling frame
Open-ended questions
Respondents can answer in their own words.
Closed-ended questions
Respondents can only select from a set of response options offered by the researcher
social desirability
Giving responses that are deemed to be the most socially-desirable responses, even if they are not in accordance with the subject’s true beliefs.
acquiescence
tendency to agree to any response regardless of honesty/contradiction
Likert scale
Question that asks for degree of agreement/disagreement on a 5 or 7 point scale
response or return rate
The number of people who return a survey
simple random sampling
every element has an equal chance of being selected and do not effect the probability of another element being selected. Use random number generator
systematic sampling
a sampling technique in which every one doe not have an equal chance of selection (ex. every 5th one)
stratified sampling
a random sampling technique in which two or more subsamples are proportionately represented. One subsample may be oversampled, so they are overrepresented in the sample, if they are a small but particularly important subsample.
Cluster sampling
A sample selected by using groups or clusters from the population.
For what purposes are surveys used?
Surveys are used to describe people’s thoughts, feelings, and opinions. They are used to describe the correlation relationship between variables.
What are the characteristics of a survey?
- Involves sampling
- Self-reporting
- response rate
- everyone answers the same questions so results can be compared
What is a representative sample?
A sample that accurately represents the characteristics of a population.
Why is it important to select a representative sample?
It is important so that results can be generalized to the population and a selection bias does not occur (threat to internal validity).
advantages and disadvantages of mail surveys
Advantages: low cost, anonymity, no interviewer bias
Disadvantages: slow response rate, no control over what order the questions are answered in or who answers them, must be self-explanatory
advantages and disadvantages of interviews
Advantages: interviewer as motivator, can clarify, higher response rate
Disadvantages: interviewer bias, responses may be tailored, more expensive, no supervision, hard to reach people
advantages and disadvantages of phone surveys
Advantages: less expensive, can be supervised, can clarify, easier access to people
Disadvantages: interviewer bias, can’t use visual aids, people screen calls, only good for short interviews
advantages and disadvantages of internet surveys
Advantages:
Disadvantages: low cost, fast, easier to reach people,
advantages and disadvantages of internet surveys
Advantages: low cost, fast, easier to reach people, control over sequencing, easy to check for errors
Disadvantages: no control over who fills it out, response bias, selection bias, difficult to check other demographic info
advantages and disadvantages of using open-ended questions
Advantages: gathers more complete information, more detail;
Disadvantages: barrier to participation, harder to code, bias towards articulate people
Better for small-scale studies and pilot surveys
