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chapter 13 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is survey research?

A

A nonexperimental research method relying on questionnaires or interview protocols

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2
Q

What are the purposes of survey research?

A

To measure individuals’ attitudes, activities, opinions, and beliefs

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3
Q

What is the first step in survey research design?

A

Plan and design the survey research study

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4
Q

Differentiate between cross-sectional and longitudinal designs.

A

Cross-sectional designs collect data at a single time point; longitudinal designs collect data over multiple time points

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5
Q

What is a key advantage of survey research?

A

Applicable to a wide range of problems

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6
Q

What is a disadvantage of longitudinal designs?

A

Expensive because data are collected over multiple years

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7
Q

Fill in the blank: Survey research is helpful in ______, descriptive, predictive, and explanatory research.

A

exploratory

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8
Q

What types of data can be collected through survey research? List at least three.

A
  • Attitudes
  • Activities
  • Beliefs
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9
Q

What is the primary purpose of survey research?

A

To measure individuals’ attitudes, activities, opinions, and beliefs

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10
Q

What is the researcher’s job in survey research?

A

To ensure questions are asked in ways that encourage honest responses

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11
Q

In survey research, what should be done with participants’ responses?

A

Corroborate using additional strategies and data collection methods

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12
Q

What are the six steps in survey research design?

A
  • Plan and design the study
  • Determine issues to survey
  • Identify target population
  • Select the sample(s)
  • Construct and refine the survey instrument
  • Collect and analyze the data
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13
Q

True or False: Survey research can only measure current attitudes and beliefs.

A

False

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14
Q

What is a panel study?

A

A longitudinal study that follows a single group or cohort over time

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15
Q

What is a trend study?

A

A longitudinal study that collects data from different samples over time

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16
Q

What is the main focus of survey researchers when measuring attitudes?

A

To examine relationships among variables

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17
Q

Fill in the blank: Survey research is often conducted with a sample selected from a ______.

A

target population

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18
Q

What is the significance of random samples in survey research?

A

Allows for statistical generalizations about populations

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19
Q

What is the relationship between survey research and political polling?

A

Survey research is needed in political polling for estimating public opinions

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20
Q

What can survey data help researchers do?

A

Predict what will happen based on attitudes and beliefs

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21
Q

What is the most basic tenet of survey research?

A

If you want to know what people think, then ask them

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22
Q

What is a panel study in the context of longitudinal research?

A

Conducts interviews with the same group of individuals at successive points over time

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23
Q

What is a survey instrument?

A

Data collection instrument used in survey research such as a questionnaire or interview protocol

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24
Q

What is a questionnaire?

A

Self-report data collection instrument filled out by research participants

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25
What is an interview in survey research?
Verbal self-report data are collected from interviewees by an interviewer
26
What is a standardized interview protocol?
Instrument that has been put into a script-like format for systematic question reading
27
What are the advantages of interviews over questionnaires?
* More control over data collection * Can probe participants for follow-up responses
28
What is the face-to-face interview method?
A person-to-person interview typically conducted in the interviewee’s home
29
What are some advantages of face-to-face interviews?
* Clear up ambiguities in questions * Higher completion rate * More complete respondent information
30
What is a disadvantage of face-to-face interviews?
The most expensive method
31
What are some tips for conducting effective research interviews?
* Ensure interviewers are trained * Obtain informed consent * Be sensitive to cultural differences * Establish trust and rapport
32
What is the telephone interview method?
Survey conducted via telephone, significantly less expensive than face-to-face interviews
33
What is a major disadvantage of mail questionnaires?
Most questionnaires are never returned; return rate is typically 20-30%
34
What is a group-administered questionnaire method?
Participants fill out questionnaires during a group session
35
What is a web-based survey?
Involves contacting people over the Internet to complete a survey instrument
36
What are advantages of web-based surveys?
* Low cost * Instant access to a wide audience * Responses downloaded into analysis programs
37
What are disadvantages of web-based surveys?
* Difficulty ensuring privacy and anonymity * Volunteer sampling may differ from the general population
38
What is the first principle of constructing a survey instrument?
Write items to match the research objectives
39
What is a key consideration when writing survey items?
Items should be appropriate and meaningful for the respondents
40
What is the importance of writing short, simple questions?
Ensures easy understanding and interpretation by all participants
41
What are loaded and leading questions?
* Loaded questions bias responses with emotionally charged terms * Leading questions suggest how participants should answer
42
What is a double-barreled question?
Asking about two or more issues in a single question, which must be avoided
43
What is the purpose of pilot testing a questionnaire?
To perfect the survey instrument before it is used in research
44
What is a double-barreled question?
A question that asks about two separate issues, making it unclear which attitude is being assessed.
45
What should you check for if the word 'and' or 'or' appears in your question?
Check for double-barreled questions.
46
What is a double negative?
A sentence construction that contains two negatives.
47
How can double negatives be minimized in survey questions?
Keep double negatives to a minimum and underline the negative words.
48
What is an open-ended question?
A question that requires participants to respond in their own words.
49
What is a closed-ended question?
A question where participants must select their answer from a set of predetermined response categories.
50
What is a mixed-question format?
A question format that includes a mixture of both closed- and open-ended response characteristics.
51
When are open-ended questions valuable?
When the researcher needs to know what people are thinking or when the dimensions of a variable are not well defined.
52
What is the primary benefit of closed-ended questions?
They provide more standardized data as all participants are exposed to the same response categories.
53
What are mutually exclusive categories?
Non-overlapping response categories.
54
What is the importance of exhaustive categories in survey questions?
They cover the full range of possible responses.
55
What is a rating scale?
An ordered set of response choices measuring the direction and strength of an attitude.
56
What is a dichotomous response format?
An item with only two response options, such as yes or no.
57
What is the recommended range of response categories for scaled response formats?
4 to 11 points.
58
What is a binary forced-choice format?
Participants must select from two response choices provided.
59
What is the purpose of ranking in survey responses?
To indicate the importance or priority assigned to an attitudinal object.
60
What should you avoid when asking participants to rank attitudinal objects?
Do not ask participants to rank more than three to five attitudinal objects at one time.
61
What is a checklist in survey methodology?
Participants are asked to check all response categories that apply.
62
Why is it important to use multiple items to measure complex constructs?
Single items are rarely adequate to measure constructs of interest to psychologists.
63
Give an example of a complex construct that requires multiple items for measurement.
Self-esteem, intelligence, or locus of control.
64
What is the main purpose of using multiple items in measuring psychological constructs?
To adequately measure complex constructs of interest to psychologists
65
Which constructs can be adequately measured with a single item?
* Sex (self-report) * Weight (measured on a scale) * Ethnicity (self-report)
66
What are multidimensional constructs?
Constructs that have two or more components/domains/dimensions requiring more than one item for measurement
67
What are unidimensional constructs?
Constructs that have only one dimension but still require multiple-item measurement
68
True or False: Single-item measurement is considered reliable.
False
69
What is the semantic differential scaling method?
A method measuring the meanings that participants give to attitudinal objects using bipolar rating scales
70
What is the most popular rating scale for semantic differential?
7-point rating scale with only the endpoints anchored
71
Name three dimensions addressed by contrasting adjective pairs in semantic differential.
* Activity * Evaluation * Potency
72
What is Likert scaling?
A multi-item scale used to measure a single construct by summing participants’ responses to the items
73
What is the range of response options typically used in a Likert scale?
4-, 5-, 6-, or 7-point rating scale
74
What is the purpose of reverse wording in scales like the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale?
To ensure that scores for negative items are reversed before summing with other items
75
What coefficient alpha value indicates a reliable scale?
0.70 or higher
76
What should a questionnaire include to ensure ease of use?
* A title * Consecutively numbered items * Page numbers * Clear instructions
77
Where should demographic questions be placed in a questionnaire?
At the end of the instrument
78
What is a contingency question?
An item directing participants to different follow-up questions based on their response
79
What is the recommended maximum length for telephone interviews?
15 minutes
80
What is social desirability bias?
Error occurring when participants respond in a way that makes them look good
81
What is a strategy to minimize social desirability bias?
Make the data anonymous
82
What is response set bias?
The tendency for a participant to respond in a particular way to a set of items
83
What is the purpose of pilot testing a questionnaire?
To identify problems and fix them before using it in the research study
84
What is the definition of a population in research?
The full group of interest that the researcher wants to generalize to
85
What is convenience sampling?
Using readily available or easily recruited participants for a sample
86
What is random sampling?
A method used to ensure every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected
87
What is a sampling error?
Differences between sample values and the true population parameter
88
What is the significance of the New York Times–CBS poll example?
Illustrates the accuracy of predictions based on a true random sample
89
What is sampling error?
Differences between sample values and the true population parameter.
90
What is the strength of survey research?
Ability to generalize directly from the single sample to the population.
91
What is simple random sampling?
A popular and basic equal probability of selection method.
92
What is an advantage of simple random sampling?
Provides a sample of participants who represent the general population.
93
Define representative sample.
A sample that resembles the population.
94
Describe the 'hat model' of simple random sampling.
Write each person’s name on a small piece of paper, put them into a hat, shake, and pull one piece out.
95
What is a better method than the 'hat model' for simple random sampling?
Give each person in the population a number and use a random number generator.
96
What should you do to prepare survey data for analysis?
Enter your data into a statistical software program (e.g., SPSS) and check quality.
97
Why is it important to check the quality of your data?
To ensure valid responses; errors may need to be coded as 'missing'.
98
What happens if a response is outside the valid range of a rating scale?
It must be coded as 'missing'.
99
How should you handle open-ended responses?
Examine for themes and categories, then assign codes to represent a nominal variable.
100
What is the next step after cleaning your data?
You are ready for analysis.
101
Fill in the blank: A contingency question directed only to women means responses by men must be _______.
[coded as missing]
102
What software is commonly used for entering quantitative survey data?
SPSS.
103
True or False: Dissemination or sale of any part of this work is permitted.
False.
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