RM wk7

1. Survey Research

2. • Surveys provide a methodology for finding out
what people think at a particular time
• Study attitude and behavior change over time
• Important complement to experimental
research findings
• It is assumed people are able
and willing answer
truthfully and accurately
Survey Research

3. Survey Response Errors
• Response set: when a participant
answers all questions from a particular
perspective.
–Social Desirability
–“Yea-saying” or “Nay-saying”

4. Constructing Questions
• Defining the Research Objectives
–Attitudes and beliefs
–Facts and demographics
–Behaviors
–Ensure simplicity!

5. Constructing Questions
• Question Wording
–Potential problems can stem from difficulty
understanding the question
• Keep it simple
–Double-barreled questions
–Loaded questions
–Negative wording

6. Constructing Questions
• Negative Wording Advantages
–Reducing Acquiescent Bias
–Reducing Extreme Response Bias
• Negative Wording Disadvantages
–Misinterpret
–Mistake
–Miscode
(Sauro & Lewis, 2011)

7. Responses to Questions
Closed-ended questions
• Dichotomous & Multiple-choice
• Rating Scales
–Likert scale
–Graphic rating scale
–Semantic differential scale
–Nonverbal scales for children
•   
–Labeling Response Alternatives

8. Responses to Questions
• Closed- versus open-ended questions
–Potential problems can stem from difficulty
understanding the question
• Number of Response Alternatives
– Item analysis/Internal consistency
– Test-retest reliability

9. Finalizing the Questionnaire
• Format the questionnaire to be
professional
–Use consistent scales internally
–Clear & brief
• Pilot the questionnaire
–Refine the questionnaire
• Identify your population to sample!

10. Cross-sectional or Longitudinal?
• Different ways to track changes over
time
–Repeated surveys of individuals at a
single point in their own timeline
–Follow individual respondents
• Panel study
• Pilot the questionnaire

11. Sampling from a population
Confidence Intervals
Level of confidence that the true population value
lies within an interval of the obtained sample
Sampling error or margin of error
Sample Size
A larger sample size reduces the size of the
confidence interval
Must consider the cost / benefit of increasing
sample size
© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

12. Sampling Techniques
Two basic techniques for sampling
Probability Sampling
Simple random sampling
Every member of the population has an equal probability of
being selected
Stratified random sampling
Population divided into subgroups (strata) and random
samples taken from each strata
Cluster sampling – identify clusters and sample from
three clusters
© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

13. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

14. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

15. Sampling Techniques
 Nonprobability Sampling—unknown probability of
any member being chosen
Haphazard sampling – convenience sampling
Purposive sampling – sample meets
predetermined criterion
Quota sampling – sample reflects the numerical
composition of various subgroups in the
population
© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

16. Evaluating Samples
Representative of the population
Sampling Frame
- Actual population from which the sample is drawn
Response Rate
- Percentage of respondents who complete
Reasons for Using Convenience Samples
- Less costly in terms of time and money
Concerns
- May not be generalizable
© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.