Deck 7: Survey Research

Question 1

"Our community needs more recreational programs for its youth, and taxes should be raised to finance them." If this statement were used to measure attitudes in a survey, what error or problem does it suffer from

A)It is too long.
B)It is two questions in one.
C)It uses too much slang.
D)It contains a false premise.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A "contingency question" in a questionnaire refers to:

A)a question that can be dropped if the interview is taking too long.
B)a question that is revised or dropped because it is shown to be ambiguous in a pretest.
C)an open ended question that will have to be coded by the investigator during data analysis.
D)a question that a respondent may or may not answer depending on their response to a previous question.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The proportion of a sample that completes and returns a questionnaire or agrees to be interviewed is called:

A)the response rate.
B)the sampling frame.
C)the unit of analysis.
D)the interview schedule.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In general, which of the following is NOT good advice regarding the wording of questions in surveys

A)Questions should be stated in the present tense.
B)Slang terminology should be avoided.
C)Complex statements containing more than one idea should be used.
D)Questions should be simple and express only one idea.

Question 5

Regarding the order of questions in a questionnaire:

A)opinion questions should be placed before factual questions.
B)interesting questions should be placed toward the end of the questionnaire as an enticement.
C)factual questions should be placed before opinion questions.
D)standard demographic questions regarding age, sex, and race should be first on the questionnaire.

Question 6

Which of the following will increase the response rate for a mailed questionnaire

A)using stamps rather than bulk printed postage
B)including some inducement with the questionnaire
C)a carefully prepared cover letter
D)all of the answers represent things that will increase the response rate

Question 7

If a respondent in a survey gives more than one answer to an open ended question, this can be handled in data analysis by:

A)throwing out all of the respondent's answers to that question.
B)accepting all of the respondent's answers as data.
C)accepting only the respondent's first answer as data.
D)either accepting all of the respondent's answers or accepting only the respondent's first answer as data

Question 8

In general, open ended questions would be most appropriate to use in a survey when:

A)the survey will be conducted via telephone.
B)variables are highly developed theoretically and measurable on the basis of a few known response alternatives.
C)conducting an exploratory study with little theoretical development.
D)conducting applied research in which the goal is to alleviate some specific problem.

Question 9

The "structure" of an interview refers to:

A)the ordering of the questions in the interview schedule.
B)the degree of freedom the interviewer has in conducting the interview.
C)the procedures used to increase the response rate.
D)whether anonymity or confidentiality has been assured to respondents.

Question 10

Research on conducting surveys on non-sensitive topics has shown that:

A)assuring anonymity results in a higher response rate than does assuring confidentiality.
B)assuring confidentiality results in a higher response rate than does assuring anonymity.
C)assuring anonymity does not result in a higher response rate than does assuring confidentiality.
D)neither assurances of anonymity nor confidentiality have any effect on the response rate.

Question 11

Which of the following is true of surveys

A)They involve the direct observation of behavior.
B)They can measure both what people say about their behavior and the behavior itself at the same time.
C)They only measure what people say about their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
D)They are a good source of available data.

Question 12

When using a mailed questionnaire, research has shown that, after ________ follow up letter(s), additional follow ups will generate relatively few additional responses.

A)one
B)two
C)three
D)four

Question 13

A questionnaire is different from an interview in that a questionnaire:

A)is distributed to respondents through the mail.
B)contains written questions that people respond to directly on the form itself.
C)involves the researcher reading questions to respondents and recording their answers.
D)follows a non-schedule standardized interview format.

Question 14

As a guideline, the text suggests that any response rate less than ______ in a survey is highly suspect as far as representativeness is concerned.

A)50 percent
B)65 percent
C)80 percent
D)90 percent

Question 15

Which of the following is an (are)advantage(s)of questionnaires as a survey research technique in contrast to interviews

A)They are less expensive.
B)They obtain more accurate data on questions of a personal or sensitive nature.
C)They eliminate the problem of interviewer bias.
D)All of the answers represent advantages of questionnaires.

Question 16

Which of the following was stated as an advantage of using slang to ask questions when the slang is used by the group being surveyed

A)It can increase rapport.
B)It makes data analysis easier.
C)It reduces random error.
D)It increases systematic error.

Question 17

The highest response rate for questionnaires is for those sponsored by:

A)universities.
B)private businesses.
C)government agencies.
D)private social work agencies.

Question 18

One of the effects of using closed ended rather than open ended questions in a survey is:

A)the list of alternatives serves to remind people of responses that they might not have thought of otherwise.
B)people tend to ignore the list of alternatives and fill in their responses in the "other" category.
C)people are less likely to participate in the survey and answer all of the questions.
D)people have much more freedom to answer questions as they wish rather than as the investigator might wish them to.

Question 19

Which of the following is one of the weaknesses of using matrix questions on questionnaires

A)They may not provide a sufficient number of response alternatives.
B)Respondents can lose track of which line is the response location for which statement.
C)They can create ambiguity regarding which questions the respondent should go to after completing the matrix questions.
D)All of the answers represent weaknesses of matrix questions.

Question 20

Which of the following is a disadvantage of questionnaires as a survey research technique in contrast to interviews

A)There is no opportunity to probe for further information.
B)They are more expensive.
C)They enhance the problem of interviewer bias.
D)They provide less accurate responses to questions of a personal or sensitive nature.

Question 21

Which of the following does the text recommend regarding contacting interview respondents

A)Information about the research project should blanket the total survey population.
B)Interviewers should carry identification badges.
C)Contact respondents at a time that is convenient for them to complete the interview.
D)All of the answers are recommended.

Question 22

A focus group could be best defined as:

A)an interview with a whole group of people at the same time, using an un-standardized interview.
B)an interview with a whole group of people at the same time, using a schedule-standardized interview.
C)an interview where a number of people are interviewed in sequence, using a nonschedule-standardized interview.
D)a face-to-face interview, using an un-standardized interview and focusing in on only one topic.

Question 23

With regard to recording responses in an interview, the text concludes that:

A)taking lengthy, verbatim notes may damage rapport.
B)it is best to record responses after the interview is over.
C)using tape recorders does not decrease the response rate.
D)both taking lengthy, verbatim notes may damage rapport and using tape recorders does not decrease the response rate were conclusions in the text.

Question 24

The purpose of probes in an interview is to:

A)serve as a pretest of the questions.
B)elicit clearer and more complete responses.
C)increase the response rate.
D)provide structure to the interview schedule.

Question 25

Which of the following has research shown to occur when an interviewer and a respondent differ in terms of race or social distance

A)The response rate drops substantially.
B)The response rate increases slightly.
C)The quality of data increases.
D)More socially acceptable answers are obtained.

Question 26

Which of the following is an advantage of interviews over questionnaires as a survey research technique

A)Interviews are less expensive.
B)Interviews do not take as much time.
C)Interviews help to reduce interviewer bias.
D)Interviews allow more control over factors such as who answers the questions.

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT true regarding online surveys in comparison to other survey methods

A)Online surveys are quick.
B)Online surveys are inexpensive.
C)Online surveys are less affected by the social desirability effect.
D)All of the answers are true.

Question 28

When we say that the research interview is a "secondary" relationship, we mean that:

A)the interviewer has a practical, utilitarian goal.
B)the goal of the interview is to give respondents a sympathetic ear.
C)the interviewer should try to make friends with the respondents.
D)data gathering efforts should be secondary to the personal relationship between interviewer and respondent.

Question 29

The interview with the LEAST structure is the:

A)schedule standardized interview.
B)nonschedule standardized interview.
C)un-standardized interview.
D)telephone interview.

Question 30

Research interviews are different from practice interviews in that:

A)the content of the research interview is determined by the respondent while that of the practice interview is determined by the practitioner.
B)the content of the practice interview is often determined by the client or the client's needs.
C)research interviews involve more intensive and longer relationships between interviewer and respondent.
D)practice interviews are more likely to involve a brief practitioner client relationship.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text as a problem with online surveys

A)representativeness
B)sampling
C)formatting
D)interviewer falsification

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways of conducting online surveys

A)sending a survey as e-mail
B)sending a survey as an attachment to e-mail
C)doing a telephone survey
D)making a survey available at a Web site

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT one of the special techniques possible with computer-assisted telephone interviewing

A)personalized wording of questions
B)automatic branching for contingency questions
C)range checks on responses to catch errors
D)all of the answers represent such special techniques

Question 34

When an interview involves topics of sexual behavior, research suggests that more valid responses can be gained from respondents when:

A)the interviewer is male.
B)the interviewer is female.
C)interviewer and respondent are of the same gender.
D)interviewer and respondent are of different gender.

Question 35

One of the limitations of telephone surveys is:

A)they are more costly than other types of surveys.
B)they must be quite short in duration.
C)they are less flexible than other types of surveys in handling non English speaking respondents.
D)supervision of interviewers is much more difficult than with other types of surveys.

Question 36

The term "Qualtrics" refers to:

A)a procedure for doing probability sampling.
B)an online survey organization that can be used by researchers doing surveys.
C)a procedure for eliciting valid responses in focus groups.
D)computer software for analyzing qualitative data from surveys.

Question 37

When contacting respondents on their cell phones, researchers sometimes ask them whether they are in a safe and relaxed environment where they can adequately respond to the questions. A downside of doing this is:

A)it gives the respondent a ready-made excuse to refuse to participate.
B)it takes up too much time in the interview.
C)it will increase the response rate too much.
D)it reduces rapport between interviewer and respondent.

Question 38

The method of initially contacting respondents for an interview that has the LOWEST rate of refusal is:

A)to telephone them.
B)to send them a letter.
C)to send them a telegram.
D)to contact them in person.

Question 39

Which of the following is an advantage of focus groups in comparison to more structured, single-person interviews

A)Focus group results are more generalizable to larger populations.
B)Focus groups cost less.
C)Focus group data is more likely to be in quantitative form.
D)Focus group data are less subjective and easier to analyze.

Question 40

Which of the following is the most expensive way of conducting a survey

A)by mail
B)on-line
C)face-to-face
D)by telephone

Question 41

Describe how focus groups differ from traditional interviews, how the role of a focus group moderator compares to that of an interviewer, and what the advantages are to using a focus group.

Question 42

You are planning a survey of Vietnam era veterans in order to learn more about the prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. The sample will be a nationally representative group of 1000 men who served in the military between 1966 and 1968. Would you use a telephone or a personal interview Defend your choice.

Question 43

Compare and contrast research interviews with practice interviews.

Question 44

Identify three "do's" or "don'ts" to maximize the response rate for personal interviews.

Question 45

The text presents a variety of guidelines for wording questions used in questionnaires. Identify and discuss those guidelines.

Question 46

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of closed ended and open ended questions as used in questionnaires. Under what conditions would you use one type of question rather than the other

Question 47

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using interviews as a means of collecting data

Question 48

Differentiate between schedule standardized, nonschedule standardized, and un-standardized types of interviews.What are the conditions under which each might be used

Question 49

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using questionnaires as a means of collecting data

Question 50

Great effort is expended to maximize the response rate for mailed questionnaires. Discuss why maximizing the response rate is so important. Describe the things that can be done to maximize the response rate for mailed questionnaires.