Survey Response Techniques and Effects

Survey Research History

• Survey research methods originated in ancient censuses, like the Domesday Book
• Early 19th-century social reform movements in the U.S. and UK used surveys to document urban conditions and poverty.
• The "Social Survey Movement" combined qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand social conditions
• Statistical sampling techniques emerged in the 1920s and 1930s after the Literary Digest debacle.
• World War II greatly expanded survey research due to large-scale funding for morale, consumption, and production studies

Logic of Survey Research

• Surveys approximate knowledge, offering different perspectives with limitations.
• They are valuable for specific problems like public opinion but less so for others.
• Surveys are highly structured unlike experiments, using multiple questions to measure multiple variables at once.
• Inferring cause-and-effect relationships in surveys relies on statistical analysis to evaluate the relationships among variables.
• Temporal order is inferred from self-reported experiences.

Steps in Conducting a Survey

• Phase 1: Instrument Creation:
  • Operationalize variables into specific survey questions.
  • Write, rewrite, and organize questions.
  • Pilot test questionnaire with a small sample of similar individuals to the survey population.
  • Train interviewers if using them.
• Phase 2: Data Collection:
  • Identify the target population and desired sample size
  • Select the sample to be surveyed
  • Properly record responses from respondents
• Phase 3: Data Analysis:
  • Enter data into computers to be analyzed.
  • Review, check, and perform statistical analysis.
• Phase 4: Reporting:
  • Present findings, methods, and limitations in a research report.

Construction of the Questionnaire

• Avoid Jargon, Slang, and Abbreviations: Use understood language for clear, unbiased interpretations.
• Avoid Ambiguity, Confusion, and Vagueness: Be specific, clearly defining terms to avoid multiple interpretations by respondents.
• Avoid Emotional Language and Prestige Bias: Keep questions neutral to avoid emotional responses or the influence of highly regarded individuals, groups, or institutions.
• Avoid Double-Barreled Questions: Ask one question at a time.
• Avoid Leading Questions: Avoid phrasing questions in a way that prompts a specific response.
• Avoid Questions Beyond Respondents' Capabilities: Ask meaningful questions that respondents can accurately address.
• Avoid False Premises: Be careful phrasing questions that include statements that might be incorrect or disputed by respondents.
• Avoid Questions About Distant Future Intentions: Focus on questions relating to current or recent behavior, opinions, or beliefs.
• Avoid Double Negatives: Avoid using two negative words or phrases in a question.
• Avoid Overlapping or Unbalanced Response Categories: Provide clear, mutually exclusive, and exhaustive choices for respondents to choose from.

Special Situations

• Organization Surveys: Tailor questions to fit the organizational context.
• Elites: Gaining cooperation necessitates special outreach. (Example: using trusted intermediaries)
• Time Budget Surveys: Record detailed activity information frequently for time-based analyses.

Interviewing

• Standardized Interviews: Interviewers read questions exactly as written, avoiding deviation.
• Conversational or Flexible Interviews: Tailoring the interview to the respondent in order to ensure the survey data is properly collected.
• Probe: Neutral questions that clarify ambiguous answers are used.

Ethical Considerations

• Respect Privacy: Avoid sensitive topics or phrasing unless justified with measures to protect respondents.
• Voluntary Participation: Give respondents the option to decline participation at any time..
• Survey Exploitation and Abuse: Be careful with survey preparation, design, and use.
• Misuse of Information: Surveys should be reported responsibly and with appropriate explanation of methods and limitations.

Types of Surveys

• Mail Surveys: Advantageous for broad, low-cost reaches, but often have low response rates.
• Telephone Surveys: Generally faster than mail with potentially higher response rates. Requires interviewer training but can have some interviewer bias.
• Face-to-Face Interviews: Offer the highest response rates, flexibility with questions, and observation of the respondent. Usually more expensive.
• Web Surveys: Convenient and relatively inexpensive, but with potential issues around sample coverage.

Response Rates

• Factors influencing response rates, include location, contact, eligibility, cooperation, completion of the whole survey.
• Improving response rates involves many strategies, including follow-up measures, incentives, clear instructions, and effective question formatting.

Explore the various concepts and effects related to survey responses, including neutral positions, satisficing, and the implications of rephrasing questions. This quiz will help you understand the nuances of survey design and the potential pitfalls in data collection.