Deck 8: Survey Research

Question 1

In her survey on working class culture,Professor Janokowski wants to ask questions about very sensitive topics,such as masturbation,homosexuality,and extramarital affairs.Which type of questions should she use to explore these sensitive topics in her survey?

A)Ambiguous
B)Double-barreled
C)Open
D)Closed
E)Funneled

Answer 1

D

Question 2

What kinds of survey questions often result in problems for the researcher? How can these problems be overcome?

Answer 2

Threatening questions.Respondents may not answer a threatening question because they may find it emotionally painful to confront their own actions honestly or admit them to other people,or they may be embarrassed by the response they give.One way to overcome this is by embedding a threatening response within more serious activities so that the question appears less deviant.
Social desirability bias happens when respondents distort answers to make their reports conform to social norms.Questionnaire writers can reduce social desirability bias by phrasing questions in ways that make norm violation appear less objectionable and that present a wider range of behaviour as acceptable.
Knowledge questions.A large majority of the public cannot correctly answer elementary geography questions or identify important political documents.To overcome this problem,a researcher should pilot-tests questions so that questions are at an appropriate level of difficulty.
Skip or contingency questions.Researchers should avoid asking questions that are irrelevant for a respondent.If they are asked,then they should be in the form of screen or skip questions whereby on the basis of the answer to the first question,the respondent or an interviewer is instructed to go to another question or to skip certain questions.

Question 3

What are two advantages and two disadvantages of closed questions?

Answer 3

Advantage: The answers of different respondents are easier to compare.
Advantage: Answers are easier to code and statistically analyze.
Disadvantage: They can suggest ideas that the respondent would not otherwise have.
Disadvantage: Respondents with no opinion or no knowledge can answer anyway.

Question 4

What is the major weakness with the following survey question? "How old were you when one of your parents first took you to a restaurant?"
1)Under 6 months old
2)6 months to 12 months old
3)13 months to 24 months old
4)25 months to 3 years old
5)More than 3 years olda.It is double-barreled question.
B)The question contains too much unnecessary jargon.
C)The question is too long.
D)It is not mutually exclusive question.
E)Respondents are not fully capable of answering this question.

Question 5

What is the major error illustrated in the following question? What is your marital status? __ Married __ Single

A)It is not mutually exclusive.
B)It is not exhaustive.
C)It is a double-barreled question.
D)It makes a false premise.
E)It is too personal.

Question 6

Which of the following items should be among the first things a researcher does once he or she has decided on the survey as the appropriate method for gathering data?

A)Decide on the target population
B)Locate respondents
C)Select the sample
D)Write the survey questions
E)Plan how to record the data

Question 7

Professor Wendy Jones created a questionnaire that contained the following question: "How often do you get sexually aroused while smoking marijuana?" What is the problem with this question?

A)It is a leading question.
B)It has social desirability bias.
C)It is a double-barreled question.
D)It is a threatening question.
E)It contains jargon.

Question 8

Specify and give an example of the six types of questions common to good surveys.

Question 9

Survey respondents are most likely to under-report

A)owning a library card.
B)seeing a psychologist about depression.
C)contributing money to a religious organization.
D)voting in a recent election.
E)attending a night class at a local university.

Question 10

Specify the major weakness with the following survey question: "The Soviets cheated on every agreement to freeze nuclear weapons development since 1950.Don't you agree that Canada should give up on establishing a limitations agreement?" 1.Yes 2.Not sure 3.No

A)It is a socially undesirable question.
B)This question is too long.
C)It is a biased or leading question.
D)It is a double-barreled question.
E)The question is ambiguous.

Question 11

What specific ethical issues should a survey researcher be aware of?

Question 12

What are the three basic choices available to the researcher in relation to questions having to do with attitudes? Specify,describe,and give an example for each of them.

Question 13

Which one of the following survey questions is properly phrased?

A)“Aside from work you do at home or at a job,do you do anything to stay physically fit?”
B)“Do you agree with the Canadian Medical Association that smoking is bad for your health?”
C)“Have you ever had angina or cardiac fibrillation?”
D)“Do you jog and do sit-ups every day?”
E)“How many times a month do you engage in vigorous physical exercise for a period of at least 20 minutes?”

Question 14

Identify and briefly describe eight problems that should be avoided in survey question construction.

Question 15

What are two advantages and two disadvantages of open questions?

Question 16

Survey respondents are most likely to over-report

A)tax evasion.
B)a venereal disease.
C)alcohol consumption.
D)giving to a charity.
E)salary.

Question 17

What are five ways that an ordinary conversation differs from a survey research interview?

Question 18

From beginning to end,identify and briefly describe each of the basic steps in conducting survey-based research.

Question 19

What is the main problem with the way the following question is phrased? "Don't you agree that in order to restore order to the nation we must defeat the liberals?"

A)It is a leading question.
B)It contains loaded jargon.
C)The question is ambiguous.
D)The question assumes knowledge beyond that which most respondents possess.
E)It confuses beliefs with responsibility.

Question 20

What are some important points to consider when organizing the physical layout of a questionnaire?

Question 21

Which of the following characteristics pertains to survey interviews but not ordinary conversation?

A)Questions and answers from each participant are relatively equally balanced.
B)Judgments are stated and attempts are made to persuade the other of a particular point of view.
C)A person can reveal deep inner feelings to gain sympathy or as a therapeutic release.
D)Ritual responses are common (e.g.,“Uh-huh,”shaking head,“How are you?”“Fine”).
E)The respondent should not evade questions and should give truthful,thoughtful answers.

Question 22

Which type of survey has the lowest response rate?

A)The telephone interview
B)The mail questionnaire
C)The face-to-face interview
D)The web survey
E)The computer-assisted interview

Question 23

Reginald Dogood is constructing a short web survey on charitable giving.What potential problem should he be most concerned with?

A)Order effects
B)Social desirability bias
C)Survey length
D)Interviewer bias
E)Locating a representative sample

Question 24

What is a "probe" in survey research?

A)A trick question to determine whether a respondent is lying
B)A two-part question in survey research where the answer to the first part of the question determines which of two different questions a respondent next receives
C)A sequence of questions starting with general ones and ending with specific ones
D)The name for the middle or neutral choice among the answers to an attitude question
E)A follow-up question where a respondent is asked to clarify or elaborate on a previous answer

Question 25

Which type of survey has the highest response rate?

A)The telephone interview
B)The mail questionnaire
C)The face-to-face interview
D)The online survey
E)The computer-assisted interview

Question 26

Which one of the following types of surveys will yield the quickest results?

A)The telephone interview
B)The mail questionnaire
C)The face-to-face interview
D)The web survey
E)The computer-assisted interview

Question 27

What is a major disadvantage of open-ended survey questions?

A)Coding the responses can be tedious and difficult.
B)Misinterpretation of a question can go unnoticed.
C)They force participants to make simplistic responses to complex issues.
D)Respondents with no opinion or no knowledge can answer anyway.
E)They permit an unlimited number of possible answers.

Question 28

What is the following type of question called? "Please tell me if you Agree,Disagree,or Have No Opinion regarding the following statement: The Canadian government should change the age at which a person can legally purchase alcohol to 25 for all provinces."

A)A partially open question
B)A quasi-filter question
C)A open-ended question
D)A full-filter question
E)A standard form question

Question 29

The interview process is fraught with tensions a skillful interviewer must navigate.Which of the following is NOT one of the tensions that inheres within the interview process?

A)Interviewers must obtain cooperation and build rapport,yet they must remain neutral and objective.
B)Interviewers encroach on the respondents’time and privacy for information that may not directly benefit the respondents.
C)Interviewers try to reduce embarrassment,fear,and suspicion so that respondents feel comfortable revealing information,often while asking about sensitive and private topics.
D)Interviewers must be forthright about their judgments and opinions without discouraging respondents from being open about their own opinions.
E)Good interviewers must allow respondents the freedom to give unpressured responses while managing the pace and direction of the interview.

Question 30

Professor Sam Spade asks a respondent 18 questions about a politician where the possible responses are "agree" and "disagree." All 18 questions are worded in such a way that a person who favours the politician will say "agree." The respondent quickly answers "agree" to all 18 questions without really thinking about each individual question.This is an example of

A)social desirability effect.
B)prestige question effect.
C)sleeper effect.
D)response set effect.
E)order effect.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways survey interviews differ from ordinary conversations?

A)The interviewer is nonjudgmental and does not try to change the respondent’s opinions or beliefs.
B)The respondent provides almost all information.The interviewer does not correct a respondent’s factual errors.
C)The interviewer employs ritual responses to stimulate respondents.
D)The interviewer controls the topic,direction,and pace.He or she keeps the respondent “on task,”and irrelevant diversions are contained.
E)The respondent should not evade questions and should give truthful,thoughtful answers.

Question 32

A _____ question offers respondents a "don't know" alternative.

A)standard format
B)quasi-filter
C)full filter
D)partially open
E)contingency

Question 33

Which type of survey allows for the longest interview and the most complex questions?

A)The telephone interview
B)The mail questionnaire
C)The face-to-face interview
D)The web survey
E)The computer-assisted interview

Question 34

When is it most appropriate to use an open-ended question?

A)When the sample contains many floaters
B)When there are only a few simple choices for most of the questions in the survey
C)When doing exploratory research
D)When lots of statistics are required
E)When the sample consists of many people with limited speaking and writing abilities

Question 35

What is a "floater" in survey research?

A)A type of question that can be placed anywhere in the survey
B)An interviewer who is capable of interviewing any type of respondent
C)A respondent who really does not have an opinion or belief about something asked about in a question,but answers anyway
D)An additional response item for a closed-ended question
E)A type of question designed to keep respondents interested in the questionnaire

Question 36

When reporting survey research results,what is one item that you do NOT have to include?

A)Date of survey
B)Size of sample
C)Exact question wording
D)Method of survey (face-to-face,telephone,etc.)
E)The questionnaire

Question 37

Professor Wendy Jones is organizing the questions in her survey on the prevalence of marijuana consumption among high school students.Which one of the following rules should she be sure to follow?

A)She should double-check to ensure that all relevant questions include jargon or slang so that her respondents will understand what is being asked.
B)Professor Jones should organize the survey so that specific questions are asked before general ones.
C)She should try to mix questions on different topics to maintain respondent interest.
D)Professor Jones should make certain that all threatening questions are asked at the beginning of the survey.
E)She should organize her questions into common topics.

Question 38

Undergraduate student David Davidson's questionnaire has two series of questions.One series asks Caucasians about South Asian people,and the other asks South Asians about Caucasians.The series of questions respondents answer depends on their answer to the second question in the questionnaire,"What is your ethnicity?" Davidson is using a

A)dual-ballot question.
B)forced-choice question.
C)contingency question.
D)sign-post question.
E)double-barreled question.

Question 39

Which one of the following features is most likely to increase respondent cooperation in all types of surveys?

A)Offerings a prepaid incentive
B)Guaranteeing anonymity and confidentiality
C)Describing the purpose of the research in complete detail
D)Sending letters in advance of an interview
E)Repeatedly emphasizing the importance of the interview

Question 40

Identify the following type of question: "Do you have an opinion about the recent events in China?" [TO INTERVIEWER: IF NO,SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION.IF YES,CONTINUE.] "Please tell me if you 'Agree,' 'Disagree,' or 'Have No Opinion' regarding the statement: 'The Chinese government should give in to the demands of people staging mass demonstrations to free Tibet.'"

A)A partially open question
B)An open-ended question
C)A standard form question
D)A quasi-filter question
E)A full-filter question

Question 41

Define the following:cover sheet

Question 42

Define the following:contingency question

Question 43

Define the following:computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI)

Question 44

What does a funnel sequence entail?

A)Researcher building rapport before asking sensitive questions
B)Researcher asking general questions before specific questions
C)Respondent derailing the survey by changing the topic
D)Respondents becoming increasingly focused on one topic
E)Researcher becoming increasingly focused on one topic

Question 45

Define the following:double-barreled question

Question 46

Jodi Jansen administered several variations of a survey,which explored respondents' attitudes towards sentences for drug related offences and attitudes towards recreation drug use.Jodi found that respondents who were surveyed about their attitudes towards recreational drug use before their attitudes towards sentences for drug related offences tended to favour softer sentencing practices.What did Jodi discover?

A)Response set
B)Leading questions
C)Wording effect
D)Respondent fatigue
E)Context effect

Question 47

When are interview schedules used?

A)During telephone and face-to-face surveys
B)In mail and email surveys
C)When the survey is subject to time constraints
D)When a survey comprises closed-ended questions only
E)When a survey comprises open-ended questions only

Question 48

Which of the following helps to reduce respondent fatigue?

A)Closed-ended questions
B)Interview schedule
C)Floaters
D)Emotional language
E)Abbreviations

Question 49

In a survey exploring attitudes towards work,Brandon asks,"Do you hate your boss and want to quit your job?" Which error does Brandon's survey question exhibit?

A)Use of jargon
B)Prestige bias
C)Leading
D)Double-barreled
E)False premises

Question 50

Define the following:context effect

Question 51

Define the following:funnel sequence

Question 52

During an interview exploring political attitudes,Gary Goodman asks his interviewee how she plans to vote in the upcoming municipal elections.Instead of answering,Gary's interviewee asks him how he plans to vote.How should Gary respond to his interviewee's question?

A)Withhold his own opinion and construct and answer that reflects his interviewee’s sentiments
B)Indicate the question is inappropriate
C)Skip the question and move on to the next item on the interview schedule
D)Share his opinions about the upcoming municipal elections while being careful to maintain a neutral,objective tone
E)Decline to answer the question without explaining why

Question 53

Define the following:full-filter question

Question 54

Define the following:computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)

Question 55

Define the following:matrix question

Question 56

Define the following:closed-ended question

Question 57

Define the following:floaters

Question 58

Define the following:interview schedule

Question 59

Define the following:leading question

Question 60

Define the following:mode of delivery

Question 61

Define the following:wording effects

Question 62

Define the following:open-ended question

Question 63

Define the following:standard format question

Question 64

Define the following:partially open question

Question 65

Define the following:threatening questions

Question 66

Define the following:respondent fatigue

Question 67

Define the following:questionnaire

Question 68

Define the following:order effects

Question 69

Define the following:survey research

Question 70

Define the following:social desirability bias

Question 71

Define the following:response set

Question 72

Define the following:prestige bias

Question 73

Define the following:pseudosurvey

Question 74

Define the following:quasi-filter question

Question 75

Define the following:probe