Study Patterns – Questionnaires & | Test Bank + Answers Ch.8 - Social Research Methods 1e | Test Bank Bryman by Alan Bryman. DOCX document preview.
Chapter 8: How Do Researchers Study Patterns that Span Populations and Categories of Experience? Questionnaires and Structured Interviews
Test Bank
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 1
1) A study design where researchers collect data through structured interviews or questionnaires is known as ______________.
Page reference: Introduction
a. Qualitative research
b. Quantitative research
c. Survey research
d. Secondary analysis
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 2
2) How do survey researchers introduce controls in their research process?
Page reference: Introduction
a. Asking different questions of different types of groups.
b. Asking each respondent the same questions in the same way
c. Probing for more information when information is not clear
d. Asking questions about social characteristics
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 3
3) Which type of survey question asks respondents to act as informants?
Page reference: Different kinds of surveys
a. Personal, factual questions
b. Questions about attitudes and beliefs
c. Factual questions about an entity or event
d. Questions about knowledge
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 4
4) A survey question that assesses a respondent’s grasp of information about a specific topic is a ___________________________
Page reference: Different kinds of surveys
a. Question about knowledge
b. Question about attitudes and beliefs
c. Factual question about an entity or event
d. Question about others
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 5
5) Which type of survey question is featured predominately in the General Social Survey?
Page reference: Different kinds of surveys
a. Factual questions about an entity or event
b. Questions about attitudes and beliefs
c. Questions about knowledge
d. Personal, factual questions
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 6
6) A researcher wants to understand how much respondents understand about the COVID-19 vaccine. What type of question should they focus on in their survey research?
Page reference: Different kinds of surveys
a. Factual questions about an entity or event
b. Questions about attitudes and beliefs
c. Questions about knowledge
d. Personal, factual questions
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 7
7) A data collection method where respondents complete questions and response items without the aid of an interviewer is called a ___________.
Page reference: Different kinds of surveys
a. Questionnaire
b. Structured interview
c. Survey research
d. Analysis of existing data
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 8
8) Which of the following is not a characteristic of a structured interview?
Page reference: Different kinds of surveys
a. Interviewer asks questions
b. Questions are closed-ended
c. Questions are asked in the same order
d. All respondents are asked the same questions
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 9
9) What types of data collection did Williams use in his study of massively multiplayer online gamers?
Page reference: Mixed Methods in Action
a. Structured interviews and questionnaires
b. Participant observation and an online survey
c. Online survey and unobtrusive methods
d. Content analysis
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 10
10) Which of the following is not a finding from Williams study of MMOG players.
Page reference: Mixed Methods in Action
a. Men and boys were more likely to overreport the hours they spent playing.
b. All players underreported the number of hours they played.
c. Women and girls were more likely to underreport the amount of time they spent playing
d. Girls and women were among the most engaged players.
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 11
11) How did Williams measure the number of hours that gamers spent playing?
Page reference: Mixed Methods in Action
a. Self-reported questionnaires
b. Playing time recorded by the game
c. Researcher observation of the hours spent in the game and self-report
d. Self-report questionnaires and the hours logged in the game
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 12
12) Which of the following is not an advantage of using questionnaires?
Page reference: Questionnaires
a. Low cost to administer
b. Reduced influence of the researcher
c. Appropriate for all participants
d. Quick and convenient
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 13
13) Data variations introduced by the interviewer’s presence are known as ______________.
Page reference: Questionnaires
a. Interviewer effects
b. Response bias
c. Probing
d. Social desirability
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 14
14) Dr. Smith finds that when interviewing men about their views on sexual harassment, their answers are more brief with less detail than when she interviews women. She wonders if men are less forthcoming due to _____________.
Page reference: Questionnaires
a. None of these
b. Response bias
c. Interviewer effects
d. Question wording
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 15
15) Which of the following is not a disadvantage of questionnaires for data collection?
Page reference: Questionnaires
a. Respondents are all asked the same questions in the same way
b. Questions and responses must be clear since there is no one to explain or clarify if the respondent doesn’t understand
c. There is not an opportunity to probe for more information.
d. It is not always possible to verify who filled out the questionnaire
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 16
16) When a respondent has diminishing interest or energy to participate in research this is called _____________.
Page reference: Questionnaires
a. Respondent fatigue
b. Interviewer effects
c. Response bias
d. Social desirability
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 17
17) Dr. Silva notices that there are fewer responses and less detailed responses at the end of his questionnaire compared to questions asked earlier. This may be due to ______________.
Page reference: Questionnaires
a. Response bias
b. Question wording
c. Respondent fatigue
d. Social desirability
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 18
18) A collection of questions asked during a structured interview with a specified order and consistent wording is called a(n) ___________________.
Page reference: Structured interview
a. Interview schedule
b. Questionnaire
c. Survey
d. None of these
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 19
19) Errors and inaccuracies in data collecting resulting from question and survey design or concerns with social desirability is known as ____________.
Page reference: Structured interview
a. Interviewer effects
b. Respondent fatigue
c. Poor question writing
d. Response bias
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 20
20) Which of the following is not a way that an online format makes the survey experience better for the participants?
Page reference: Online Opportunities
a. Showing one question at a time
b. Software packages are widely available
c. Prompting participants to answer questions they missed
d. Saving responses to finish the survey at their own pace
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 21
21) The ease that online surveys can be dismissed is an example of
Page reference: Online Opportunities
a. Respondent’s paranoia about navigating the web
b. A drawback of online surveys
c. An advantage of using electronic software pacakges
d. None of these
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 22
22) The response rates for online surveys are ______________.
Page reference: Online Opportunities
a. Higher than mailed surveys
b. Lower than telephone and in-person interviews
c. Higher than telephone surveys
d. About the same as in-person interviews
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 23
23) CAI stands for
Page reference: Online Opportunities
a. Computer authorized input
b. Computing assessment inquiry
c. Computer assisted intervention
d. Computer assisted interviewing
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 24
24) “Do you have children under 18” is an example of a __________question?
Page reference: Online Opportunities
a. Open-ended
b. Filter
c. Double-barreled
d. Exhaustive
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 25
25) How did Sudman and Bradburn describe the survey process?
Page reference: Anticipating Response Errors
a. A microsocial system
b. An interaction
c. Iterative
d. None of these
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 26
26) The tendency to agree or disagree with a set of questions or items regardless of the content in order to please the researcher is known as
Page reference: Anticipating Response Errors
a. Social desirability
b. Response bias
c. Interviewer effects
d. Acquiescence
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 27
27) What is method for a researcher to test for acquiescence?
Page reference: Anticipating Response Errors
a. Probe for more information
b. Ask questions in the same way for each item
c. Shift from questionnaire to structured interview
d. Include items that call for the opposite response
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 28
28) Dr. McCarthy is doing research on people’s view on racial discrimination. She notices that respondents seem to be answering in a way that makes them look good do not reflect their actual opinions. This is called _____________.
Page reference: Anticipating Response Errors
a. Acquiescence
b. Social desirability
c. Interviewer effects
d. Lack of interest
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 29
29) Respondents appear to be rushing through answering survey without reading the questions thoroughly. This is an indication of ____________.
Page reference: Anticipating Response Errors
a. Social desirability
b. Interviewer effects
c. Lack of interest
d. Acquiescence
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 30
30) Which is the best definition of response errors?
Page reference: Anticipating Response Errors
Incorrect
a. Respondents’ tendency to align themselves with positive connotations through their responses.
b. Distortions in survey results caused by participants providing false or inaccurate information
c. Respondents’ tendency to agree with researchers’ questions and perspectives
d. Errors and inaccuracies in data collections resulting from question and survey design
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 31
31) Leshem and team discovered an issue with social desirability in their study of political attitudes about the future, peace, and conflict among Israelis and Palestinians. How did they test for this?
Page reference: Box 8.1
a. They matched Palestinian participants with Israeli interviewers.
b. Half of the surveys were administered by an interviewer and half were self-administered.
c. All surveys were administered using an interviewer.
d. Half of the surveys were administered with CAI and half with an online survey.
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 32
32) Leshem and team found that when self-administered ____________.
Page reference: Box 8.1
a. Participants expressed a greater willingness to work with Israelis
b. Participants were more committed to the ethos of conflict
c. Participants were less willing to collaborate with Israelis to move towards peace.
d. Participants were much more committed to Palestinian well-being and justice
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 33
33) Interview or questionnaire items with a fixed set of possible answers to choose from are called___________________.
Page reference: Choosing Closed-ended or open-ended questions
a. Closed-ended questions
b. Open-ended questions
c. Filter questions
d. All of these
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 34
34) Interview or questionnaire items that allow respondents to formulate their own answers are called___________________.
Page reference: Choosing Closed-ended or open-ended questions
a. Closed-ended questions
b. Open-ended questions
c. Filter questions
d. All of these
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 35
35) “How do you feel about this class” is an example of which type of question?
Page reference: Choosing Closed-ended or open-ended questions
a. Closed-ended questions
b. Open-ended questions
c. Filter questions
d. Contingent question
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 36
36) What type of question is the following: “How satisfied are you with this class? A. Very Satisfied B. Satisfied C. Somewhat Satisfied D. Not Satisfied
Page reference: Choosing Closed-ended or open-ended questions
a. Closed-ended questions
b. Open-ended questions
c. Filter questions
d. Contingent question
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 37
37) Which of the following is not an example of a benefit of using closed-ended questions?
Page reference: Choosing Closed-ended or open-ended questions
a. Data collection is straightforward.
b. Closed-ended questions require less interpretation.
c. Preparation for analysis is easier
d. Questions do not vary
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 38
38) Which of the following is not an example of a limitation of closed-ended question?
Page reference: Choosing Closed-ended or open-ended questions
a. Questions may lack authenticity
b. Questions limit comparability
c. Answers may lack spontaneity
d. Fixed-choice categories may be limited
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 39
39) A researcher creates the following fixed-response categories for the question “What is your preferred political party?”: Republican and Democrat. What is problematic about this question?
Page reference: Box 8.2
a. It is not mutually exclusive
b. It is closed-ended
c. It is not exhaustive
d. None of these
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 40
40) A researcher creates the following categories for the question, “How many years have you worked full time? 0-2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-8, 8 or more” What is problematic about this question?
Page reference: Box 8.2
a. It is not mutually exclusive
b. It is closed-ended
c. It is not exhaustive
d. All of these
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 41
41) Which of the following is not an advantage of open-ended questions?
Page reference: Choosing Closed-ended or open-ended questions
a. Open-ended questions allow unexpected responses.
b. Researchers can tap into participants’ understanding of issues.
c. Respondents have longer answers.
d. Open-ended questions allow for exploration of a topic.
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 42
42) What is problematic about the following question: “Do you agree that welfare payments for the neediest sections of the population are a waste of money?”
Page reference: Straightforward question structures
a. Double-barreled question
b. Overstretches respondent’s memory
c. Confusing phrasing
d. Leading question
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 43
43) A respondent who holds an opinion on a topic but select a neutral answer are called ____________.
Page reference: Box 8.4
a. Fence-sitters
b. Non-responders
c. True neutralss
d. Floaters
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 44
44) Contrast effects and assimilation effects outcomes of __________.
Page reference: Question order
a. Question order
b. Interviewer effects
c. Statistical analysis
d. Poorly worded questions
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 45
45) Which of the following is not true about question ordering?
Page reference: Question order
a. Early questions should be important to participants.
b. Questions that may cause embarrassment should be last in the questionnaire.
c. Questions should be logically grouped together.
d. Respondents should receive the questions in the same order.
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 46
46) Data that are not available because a respondent did not answer a question is called ___________.
Page reference: Clear Instructions for Responding
a. Missing data
b. Response bias
c. Horizontal answers
d. Vertical answers
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 47
47) What is not true about probing for more information during an interview?
Page reference: Probe
a. If a participant doesn’t understand a question, interviewers can offer clarity.
b. If an answer is incomplete, the interviewer can ask for more information.
c. Probing can introduce issues in the research process if interviewers approach them differently.
d. It is impossible for probes to be identical or standardized.
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 48
48) Which of the following is a limitation of telephone interviewing?
Page reference: Telephone interviews
a. They can be inaccessible for some respondents or households.
b. Telephone interviewing raises sampling bias.
c. Lack of respondents with any phone access.
d. Lack of response due to people not answering calls from unfamiliar numbers.
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 49
49) Pew Research Center reports a decline in telephone response rates from ______ in 1997 to ______ in 2018.
Page reference: Box 8.6
a. 55%; 21%
b. 15%; 3%
c. 80%; 16%
d. 36%; 6%
Type: multiple choice question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 50
50) Which of the following is not an advantage of doing a pilot study?
Page reference: Pilot Studies and Pre-testing questions
a. Gathering data from a similar population
b. Identifying questions that make participants uncomfortable.
c. Tweak or delete questions that are difficult to understand
d. Gain confidence and experience with the interview schedule
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 1
1) Survey research allows sociologists to identify patterns that extend across large populations and categories of people.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8- Question 2
2) An advantage of survey research is that you can efficiently collect data from a large number of people in a short amount of time.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 3
3) Because all respondents are asked the same set of questions, researchers can assume that the differences in responses reflect differences between people.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 4
4) A survey question about how much people know about the impact of mask wearing in curbing the spread of disease is an example of a question about attitudes and beliefs.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 5
5) A survey question asking how often people wear a mask in public is an example of a question about attitudes and beliefs.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 6
6) Williams and colleagues (2009) found in their study of 7000 MMOG players that respondents accurately reported the number of hours they were playing online.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 7
7) Williams (2009) and colleagues found that men were more likely than women to underreport their actually number of hours of online gaming.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 8
8) Questionnaires are not impacted by interviewer effects because respondents answers questions on their own.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 9
9) Interviewer effects occur when respondents act or respond differently than they would normally because they are being interviewed.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 10
10) It is generally not a problem for the respondent to answer questions in the wrong order.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 11
11) Respondent fatigue occurs when a participant has diminishing interest or energy in participating in the research study.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 12
12) In a structured interview, researchers can probe for more information if an answer is not clear or rephrase a question if the respondent does not understand.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
13) Because they are highly structured and scripted, structured interviews are unlikely to be impacted by interviewer error.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 14
14) Online surveys both provide access to unique populations to study and can exclude some populations who do not have access to the internet.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 15
15) Online surveys have about the same response rate as in-person interviews.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 16
16) Because respondents fill out a questionnaire on their own, there is no social interaction between the researcher and the respondent.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 17
17) Acquiescence occurs when participants provide replies that are insincere but make them appear likeable.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 18
18) To avoid the issue of lack of interest, researchers may include a set of questions that cannot be answered truthfully by selecting the same response for each question.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 19
19) Leshem and colleague’s study found that social desirability was a factor in how the participants responded to questions about political self-determination regardless of how the questions were administered.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 20
20) Coding is the process of labelling, categorizing, and organizing data collected in order to analyse it.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 21
21) To avoid response bias, it is a good idea to keep survey questions as general as possible.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 22
22) The question “How satisfied are you with your classes and your experiences outside of class” is an example of a double-barreled question.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 23
23) Closed-Ended questions are always preferable to open-ended questions in survey design.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 24
24) A fence-sitter is someone chooses a neutral response even though they do have a stronger opinion on a topic.
a. True
b. False
Type: true-false
Title: Chapter 8 Question 25
25) When considering the order of questions, it is better to ask questions that may be sensitive in nature or embarrassing later in the survey.
a. True
b. False
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 1
1) What sorts of information can be gathered using questionnaires or structured interviews? Give an example of each type of question focused on a research topic of your choice.
Feedback: Personal/factual; questions about others; factual about an entity or event; attitudes or beliefs; knowledge
Section reference: Different Kinds of Surveys
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 2
2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of questionnaires?
Feedback: Adv: quick, efficient, can reach many people; minimal influence of the researcher Disadv: cannot probe for more info or clarity, can’t ensure respondents answer questions in order, not appropriate for some respondents, can’t verify who responded
Section reference: Questionnaires
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 3
3) Why was it important that Williams and colleagues used a mixed-method approach in their study of gamers?
Feedback: They found that the surveys were underestimating the hours people played and observation allowed for a clearer picture of this, as well as the gender differences.
Section reference: Mixed Methods in Action
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 4
4) Explain the impacts of interviewer effects, respondent fatigue, and response bias on data collection. How do researchers try to avoid these issues?
Feedback: Interviewer effects are impacts on the data by the presence of the interviewer because of perceived identities, style and personality, and question wording. Respondent fatigue occurs when respondents lose interest in the study and stop answering a questionnaire. Response bias are errors and inaccuracies in data collection resulting from question and survey design or concerns about social desirability.
Section reference: Questionnaires; Structured Interviews
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 5
5) What are the advantages and disadvantages of structured interviews?
Feedback: Adv: standardization, avoid respondent fatigue, ensure question order Disadv: interviewer effects, interviewer error and response bias, cannot probe for more info
Section reference: Questionnaires; Structured Interviews
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 6
6) What are some of the advantages and disadvantage of online surveys over traditional survey research?
Feedback: Adv: Low-cost, even less expensive than mailed questionnaires; can ensure people only participate once using software packages, can control question order, can download data into a database easily, can access unique populations Disadv: response rate is not much better, people are cautious about sharing info online. Online surveys easy to miss, ignore, or dismiss.
Section reference: Online opportunities
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 7
7) What is the difference between an experimental and quasi-experimental design? Why might a researcher choose one over the other?
Feedback: Quasi-experimental designs resemble an experiment but does not involve the same manipulation and control of influences. Experimental design is more controlled with participants randomly assigned to either a control or experimental group.
Section reference: Experimental Design
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 8
8) Why do Sudman and Bradburn argue that survey research should be thought of as an interaction between the researcher and respondent? What do they recommend because of this?
Feedback: They see the survey as a microsocial system with two roles and a shared task. Researchers have to communicate their research interest using the survey and respondents share their responses, both anticipating a larger audience. Have to remember that responses may be motivated by something other than accurate reporting, like acquiescence, social desirability, and/or a lack of interest.
Section reference: Anticipating Response Errors
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 9
9) How does social desirability, acquiescence, and lack of interest contribute to response error in survey research? How can researchers test for these impacts?
Feedback: With acquiescence, respondents may answer questions in a certain way in order to be cooperative with the researcher. Researchers can include some items that call for the opposite positions to be sure that participants are being consistent in their response. Social desirability has to do with respondents answering questions in a way that makes them appear likeable or respectable. Researchers may have to consider how they are gathering the data and if an interviewer being present makes it more likely to happen (like in Box 8.1). Lack of interest can happen when respondents just select the same answer in a long list of questions that are similarly structured. Researchers can use a similar strategy of asking for the opposite position.
Section reference: Anticipating Response Errors
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 10
10) Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of open-ended versus closed-ended questions. Use Lu and Wong’s research to highlight the importance of both types of questions.
Feedback:
Adv closed-ended- straightforward and efficient, minimal interpretation, clarify questions; comparability of answers, easier prep for data analysis
Adv open-ended- participants answer on their own terms, can gain unexpected answers, highlights participants’ knowledge and experiences, explore new and changing areas
Disadv closed-ended- may lack spontaneity and authenticity, categories may be limited
Disadv open-ended- participants may not take the time, accurate recording of answers is time-consuming, analysis takes time
Section reference: Choosing closed-ended or open-ended questions; Methods in Motion
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 11
11) Explain how the overall aims of the research impacts the questions in a survey or structured interview/
Feedback: Research objective should be kept in mind so that the questions asked are designed to answer the research questions. Each question should provide specific and useful info for the research at hand.
Section reference: Linking Questions and Overall Aims
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 12
12) What are some key principles to keep in mind to ensure that questions and response categories are clear and precise? Refer to the redesign of the National Crime Victimization Survey to argue for why clear and precise wording matters.
Feedback: Avoid overly general questions; avoid ambiguous terms; minimize technical terms; spell out abbreviations and acronyms; avoid negatives
Section reference: Are questions and response categories clear and precise?; Methods in Motion: Asking Better Questions about Crime..
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 13
13) What are some principles that guide writing questions in a straightforward way? Provide an example of each.
Feedback: Avoid double-barreled questions; avoid leading questions; ensure symmetry between a closed ended questions and its answers; ensure that answers provided for closed-ended questions are balanced
Section reference: Straightforward Question Structures
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 14
14) In what ways do you need to ensure that participants are prepared to answer your questions? How can researchers ensure that respondents are able to answer questions?
Feedback: Requisite knowledge, memory problems; Dealing with fence-sitting and floating. Put yourself in the position of the respondent. Look at the literature. Pre-test your survey.
Section reference: Are Participants Prepared to Answer Your Questions?; Methods in Motion
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 15
15) What is the difference between a fence-sitter and a floater? What impact do they have on the results of a survey? Should researchers include neutral responses when designing a survey? Why or why not?
Feedback: Fence-sitters: people who don’t have strong feelings on an issue but will choose if there is no neutral option. Floaters: people who do have a strong feeling but choose neutral
Section reference: Box 8.4
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 16
16
What principles should guide question order in survey research? Why is it important to consider the ordering of questions?
Feedback: Early questions should be meaningful or important to the participants; sensitive questions should be asked later but not last; group questions in logically related sections; all respondents should get questions in the same order. The ordering can bias results: contrast effects and assimilation effects
Section reference: Question order
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 17
17) What are some basic considerations when designing a questionnaire?
Feedback: Vertical and horizontal fixed answers; clear instructions; questions and answers bundled together;
Section reference: Questionnaire design
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 18
18) How successful is the structured interview in reducing interviewer variability? Explain your answer.
Feedback: Answers vary.
Section reference: Conducting Structured Interviews
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 19
19) How can a researcher try to prevent response errors when conducting a structured interview?
Feedback: Stick to the interview schedule, record answers verbatim, careful probing for clarity
Section reference: Conducting Structured Interviews
Type: essay/short answer question
Title: Chapter 8 Question 20
20) Under what conditions are telephone interviews preferable to in-person interviews? Why might response bias be an issue with telephone surveys?
Feedback: No need to travel, cheaper to administer, easy to supervise, can reduce influence of interviewer effects. Bias with who has a phone or those who are likely to respond to a number they don’t know.
Section reference: Telephone interviews