Survey Research - Social Research Methods - Lecture Slides, Slides of Sociology

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Survey Research Docsity.com What is survey? • The survey is a non-experimental, descriptive research method • Survey can be useful when a researcher wants to collect data on phenomena that cannot be directly observed (such as opinions and behaviors) Docsity.com MARS ae ins Toru nee sory Go > |e) http: |imez.cchem. berkeley edujE valuation/survey/semp_svy.htnl v] “| [census [Pl Links @N (@lpP GP Weather @ AOLRadio @] Tony 2) 500320 CE) woulibraries 2] Arina (Gi) PPstat 2) 50c3e1 fy} science @| NewsTarget 7 Internal Validity Tutorial 2 ea | rteeana Survey Example ia + Gb EpPage - Gp tools ~ Part 1: Class Experiences a Please indicate your agreement or disagreement with each of the following statements. trongiy Disagree Strongly Agree Not Applicable Den't Know meee 1 Tt is important to me that a course provide time for discussing tone OOO O]O ClO 2 Liilce courses that encourage me to discover some of the ft .t. | ce le|olo/ofo [oo 3 Science, as Bis practiced in the real world, is objective and | la Gly lo 6 lunbiased o 4 T value being able to apply chemistry ideas to everyday ole [ isttuations Lewes —SOS*S*~=“‘*‘*«~OCOOOLO IO ‘Assuming the following activities are equally i well-implemented, I learn well by ... 3 ; z elge '8 doing homework assignments [jo [o [o [o [o using diagrams and other visual media. jo [oa [o [o lo [to listening to lecture. jo [o [o [oo |o]9]9] Not Applicable [o]e]o] Don't Know \< Docsity.com Types of surveys • Surveys can be divided into two broad categories: the questionnaire and the interview. • Questionnaires are usually paper-and-pencil instruments that the respondent completes • Interviews remind conversations • Sometimes, it's hard to tell the difference between a questionnaire and an interview because you will see questionnaires with open-ended questions (although they do tend to be shorter than in interviews) and there will often be a series of closed-ended questions asked in an interview Docsity.com Questionnaires: mail survey • When most people think of questionnaires, they think of the mail survey • There are many advantages to mail surveys • They are relatively inexpensive to administer • You can send the exact same instrument to a wide number of people • They allow the respondent to fill it out at their own convenience Docsity.com Focus group… • What's the difference between a group administered questionnaire and a group interview or focus group? • In the group interview or focus group, the interviewer facilitates the session • People work as a group, listening to each other's comments and answering the questions • Someone takes notes for the entire group -- people don't complete an interview individually. Docsity.com Household drop-off survey • A researcher goes to the respondent's home and hands the respondent the instrument • In some cases, the respondent is asked to mail it back or the interview returns to pick it up • Like the mail survey, the respondent can work on the instrument in private, when it's convenient • Like the group administered questionnaire, the interviewer makes personal contact with the respondent -- they don't just send an impersonal survey instrument • And, the respondent can ask questions about the study and get clarification on what is to be done • Generally, this would be expected to increase the percent of people who are willing to respond. Docsity.com Interviews • Interviews are a far more personal form of research than questionnaires • In the personal interview, the interviewer works directly with the respondent • Unlike with mail surveys, the interviewer has the opportunity to probe or ask follow-up questions • And, interviews are generally easier for the respondent, especially if what is sought is opinions or impressions Docsity.com Reasons for differences • Social desirability and sensitive questions • Acquiescence (culturally-based tendency to agree) Docsity.com Social desirability During fall semester, how often did you use drugs other than alcohol or marijuana, for example cocaine, speed, LSD, etc.? No Response Never Less than once a month but at least once in the past year One to three times a month One to two times a week More than twice a week Docsity.com Sensitive question Since the beginning of the school year, have you been forced or coerced to engage in unwanted sexual activity by...someone you someone you know very well Never Once or twice Once a month Once a week 2-3 times a week Every day Docsity.com Types Of Questions • Dichotomous Questions -When a question has two possible responses, we consider it dichotomous • Surveys often use dichotomous questions that ask for a Yes/No, True/False or Agree/Disagree response • There are a variety of ways to lay these questions out on a questionnaire: Docsity.com Do you believe that the death penalty is ever justified? Yes No Please enter your gender: L] Male [] Female Docsity.com Nominal question Occupational Class: 1 = truck driver 2 = lawyer 3 = etc. Docsity.com Cumulative or Guttman scale Please check each statement that you agree with: __Are you willing to permit immigrants to live in your country? __Are you willing to permit immigrants to live in your community? __Are you willing to permit immigrants to live in your neighborhood? ___Would you be willing to have an immigrant live next door to you? ___ Would you let your child marry an immigrant? Docsity.com Filter or Contingency Questions Have you ever smoked marijuana? LO Yes [1 No O OoOodoo If yes, about how many times have you smoked marijuana? Once 2 to § times $ to 10 times 11 to 20 times more than 20 times Docsity.com Response Format • The response format is how you collect the answer from the respondent: • unstructured response formats • structured response formats Docsity.com Fill-In-The-Blank • NAME: ________________________ • NAME: Docsity.com Check The Answer • The respondent places a check next to the response(s). • Sometimes, we supply a box that the person can fill in with an 'X' (which is sort of a variation on the check mark. Docsity.com Check The Answer • Please check if you have the following item on the computer you use most: modem Printer CD-ROM Drive Joystick scanner Docsity.com Unstructured Response Formats • In almost every short questionnaire, there's one or more short text field questions. One of the most frequent goes something like this: • Please add any other comments: Docsity.com Writing Questions • One methodologist described the question- writing task as similar to a driving in freeway traffic while drinking a cup of hot coffee and answering an emergency call on his cell phone Docsity.com How answer categories might impact results of the study • How many hours per day do you typically study? Less than 0.5 hours 0.6 -1 hour 1.1- 2 hours 2.1 – 2.5 hours More than 2.5 hours • How many hours per day do you typically study? Less than 2.5 hours 2.6 – 3 hours 3.1 – 4 hours 4.1 – 4.5 hours More than 4.5 hours Docsity.com What is wrong with the following question? • If you fixed dinner at home last night, did you eat meat as part of that meal?  Yes  No Docsity.com Rule 2.1 * Do not use ambiguous questions Docsity.com What is wrong with the following question? • “Have you had an opportunity to make use of the suggestions for handling obscene calls from the phone company?” Docsity.com Revision • “Do you agree or disagree that pornographic videos should be banned?” Docsity.com Rule 2.1 * Do not use ambiguous answer categories Docsity.com What is wrong with the following question? • How often did you attend religious services during the past year?  Never  Rarely  Occasionally  Regularly Docsity.com Rule 3.1: avoid overlapping categories • What is your age ? Less than 10 10-15 15-20 20-30 30-40 40 and older Docsity.com Rule 4: Avoid double-barreled questions • Should the city build a new swimming pool that includes lanes for swimming laps that is not enclosed for winter use?  Yes  No Docsity.com Revision Should the city build a new swimming pool that includes lanes for swimming laps? Yes No Should the city build a new swimming pool that is not enclosed for winter use?  Yes  No Docsity.com Rule 7: Avoid jargon and slang • “Do you agree or disagree that out county prosecutors regularly kink their cases?” Docsity.com Rule 8: Write questions in full sentences • Sex______________ • Revision: What is your sex?_____________ Docsity.com Rule 9: Avoid negative questions • “Do you agree or disagree that taverns ought not to be prohibited from opening on non- weekends-not including holidays?” Docsity.com Elements of visual design • In self-administered questionnaires, information is communicated through four distinct languages, each of which may independently influence question meaning • Verbal language (the words) • Numeric language (numbers) • Symbolic language (symbols defined by one’s culture, used to convey meaning independent of any words) • Graphical language (variations in the display of words, numbers, and/or symbols) Docsity.com Eye Movement Patterns Under conditions of visually “equal” information, we tend to follow culturally prescribed patterns Docsity.com Eye Movement Pattern Equal Information : 17 (291 san5l | a sae. 2 les 9 55 i aug 3 | a 6 hescoemmeme ' 3 12 ? 45 14 35 ae 2g a : 4 18 36 c x ff | a | ses; 937 e ‘ { ; 9 q \I! wo A 40 2 42 41 a as a a2 aun pen 3B «8 an ase ( eee a as a as eBA cog, as s en ssa” oe a as 86 wee Docsity.com Eye Movement Pattern Unequal Information Docsity.com Gestalt Psychology: Principles of Visual Perception Principle of Proximity: We tend to group together things that are close to one another and more distant from other (similar) objects. Docsity.com Principle of Proximity: Similar figures in closer proximity will be seen as a group) Docsity.com Principle of Similarity: Similar figures will be seen as a group Do you see groups? Docsity.com Principle of Similarity: Similar figures will be seen as a group Do you see groups? Docsity.com Figure/Ground Variations Can Also Facilitate Grouping It is difficult to switch from one grouping to the other To what extent to you agree or disagree that this sentence is difficult to read? Would you say that you strongly agree, somewhat agree, have no opinion, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree that this sentence is difficult to read. extent to you agree or strongly agree, no opinion, somewhat to r ad. Docsity.com