Questionnaires

Question 1

What is a Questionnaire?

Answer 1

A list of written questions that is completed by the respondent.

Question 2

What are close-ended questions?

Answer 2

The researcher providing a suitable list of responses such as yes/no in order to produce quantitative data.

Question 3

An example of a Questionnaire:

Answer 3

Bowles and Gintis studied 237 NY highschool students through a questionnaire, comparing their personality traits with their grades. They found a correlation between docility, obedience and high scores at school. Quantitative, 1-10 scale.

OR the Census.

Question 4

What are open-ended questions?

Answer 4

A question where the researcher doesn’t’ provide the respondent with a set answer from which to choose, answering instead “in their own words.” This produces qualitative data.

Question 5

Advantages of Questionnaires:

Answer 5

• Quick to create, not time-consuming.
• Easy for participants to withdraw.
• Not intrusive, can use socially sensitive topics.
• No deception.
• Cheap.

Question 6

Disadvantages of Questionnaires:

Answer 6

• Researcher may ask leading questions and impose their own views onto participant.
• Only a high response rate if an incentive is given, often a low response rate.
• People may give socially desirable answers.
• Inflexible.