Deck 8: Survey Research

Question 1

Before asking a respondent the make of their car,you should first ask if they own a car.Asking if they own a car is an example of what kind of survey question?

A)double negative
B)contingent
C)filter
D)double barreled

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A good way to determine if a questionnaire contains a context effect is to ______.

A)present questions in matrix format
B)properly train interviewers to maintain consistency
C)compare reverse question order in a split ballot design
D)have multiple interviewers conduct surveys with a small sample of original respondents

Answer 2

compare reverse question order in a split ballot design

Question 3

Survey research is most appropriate when which of the following is a central research goal?

A)measurement validity
B)causal validity
C)internal validity
D)sample generalizability

Answer 3

D

Question 4

A computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI)has all of the characteristics below EXCEPT ______.

A)The questionnaire is programmed into a computer
B)Relevant skip patterns are programmed into a computer
C)A computer randomly dials digits of a specified telephone exchange
D)The system incorporates the tasks of interviewing and data entry.

Question 5

In order to keep response rates high,researchers decide to first collect data by mailing surveys to potential respondents,after which they will begin calling respondents on the telephone.This method is known as ______.

A)context
B)random digit dialing
C)double barreling
D)mixed mode

Question 6

Behavior coding is possible for ______.

A)mailed survey
B)web survey
C)in-person survey
D)interactive voice response

Question 7

Which of the following survey methods is extremely affordable and quick to implement but cannot ensure questionnaire completion.

A)mail survey
B)phone survey
C)in-person survey
D)web survey

Question 8

If you think people have an opinion but are reluctant to express it,it's a good idea to use which type of questions?

A)contingency questions
B)forced choice questions
C)matrix questions
D)filter questions

Question 9

What is the minimum acceptable response rate for a mailed survey?

A)50%
B)67%
C)70%
D)90%

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a problem for phone surveys?

A)low response rates
B)growing rates of nonresponse
C)the number of callbacks required has increased greatly
D)Visual aids cannot be used.

Question 11

Behavior coding involves which of the following?

A)coding the number of times that difficulties occur with survey questions
B)assigning codes to different forms of behavior in experiments
C)assigning neutral codes to socially unacceptable behaviors
D)coding artifacts,such as newspaper articles,according to behavioral characteristics

Question 12

Surveys are considered efficient because they ______.

A)are relatively inexpensive
B)can be completed relatively quickly
C)can measure many variables without increasing time or cost
D)all of these

Question 13

What is not one of the reasons that survey research is so popular?

A)generalizability
B)versatility
C)nonspuriousness
D)efficiency

Question 14

A split-ballot design ______.

A)allows more questions to be used without increasing the survey's cost
B)facilitates experiments on the effect of question wording
C)is used in the General Social Survey
D)all of these

Question 15

An omnibus survey ______.

A)focuses on one research topic
B)is always conducted in person
C)covers a range of topics
D)is not generalizable to a larger population

Question 16

Survey questions should generally be kept to less than how many words?

A)20
B)50
C)75
D)100

Question 17

Six to eight weeks after an initial survey mailing,a survey researcher should do which of the following to attempt to get nonrespondents to complete their survey?

A)send a reminder postcard or a new envelope
B)send a letter reminding people to reply
C)call to make sure respondents received their surveys
D)use a different mode of delivery or administer the questionnaire over the phone

Question 18

A statement with responses ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree" on a survey questionnaire is an example of a ______.

A)Likert item
B)contingent question
C)floater
D)forced choice

Question 19

Which theory explains that a well-designed survey effort will maximize the social rewards for survey participation and minimize its costs as well as establish trust that the rewards will outweigh the costs?

A)social desirability
B)social exchange
C)cost-benefit analysis
D)rational choice

Question 20

To save costs,the GSS asks certain questions to subjects in subsamples,allowing more questions to be asked in the overall sample.This technique is known as ______.

A)alternate forms
B)omnibus survey
C)exogenous survey forms
D)split-ballot design

Question 21

Interactive Voice Response surveys require ______.

A)access to the Internet
B)access to e-mail
C)access to a telephone
D)access to an interviewer

Question 22

Group surveys differ from other types of surveys in the following way.

A)Respondents do not fill out the questionnaires themselves.
B)The cost of group surveys is usually prohibitively high.
C)The questionnaire is distributed to more than one respondent at a time.
D)An interviewer reads the questions to the respondent.

Question 23

When questions in an index cluster into correlated subsets,the index is called a/an ______.

A)multidimensional index
B)index
C)Seurat
D)scale

Question 24

If sufficient resources and a trained staff are available,which survey design is almost always preferable?

A)mailed surveys
B)group surveys
C)phone surveys
D)in-person interviews

Question 25

What guideline does the following question violate in terms of guidelines for writing questions: Do you agree that families with children are happier?

A)avoid double negatives
B)avoid double-barreled questions
C)avoid making either disagreement or agreement disagreeable
D)minimize fence sitting and floating

Question 26

In a phone survey or an in-person survey,the list of questions is referred to as ______.

A)questionnaire
B)interview survey
C)interview schedule
D)interpretive questions

Question 27

Political Party X calls voters and asks them the following question: How concerned are you with the corruption that plagues both major political parties today? What kind of survey is this?

A)group survey
B)push poll
C)cognitive interview
D)filter question

Question 28

An index that weighs items based on importance is known as a/an ______.

A) $\gamma$
B)α
C)Seurat
D)scale

Question 29

Which of the following is a good idea for making the questionnaire attractive to respondents.

A)leave lots of space white on the pages
B)list responses in a single line
C)incorporate instructions into the questions themselves
D)If the questionnaire has several pages,do not staple them together.

Question 30

In a survey,a contingent question always follows a/an ______.

A)double-barreled question
B)double-negative question
C)open-ended question
D)filter question

Question 31

The best way to improve response rates on a mailed survey is ______.

A)include a self-addressed stamped envelope
B)write an attractive questionnaire
C)use different formatting to distinguish instructions
D)send follow-up letters and replacement questionnaires

Question 32

What guideline does the following question violate in terms of guidelines for writing questions: Would you support or oppose penalties against gas-guzzling vehicles?

A)avoid double negatives
B)avoid double-barreled questions
C)minimize risk of biased words
D)avoid making disagreement or agreement disagreeable

Question 33

The design of the overall questionnaire is important.Researchers should attend to all of the following features of questionnaire construction EXCEPT ______.

A)maintain a consistent focus throughout
B)get external feedback so you can refine questions
C)sort questions into thematic categories to be included in separate sections
D)make the questionnaire attractive

Question 34

To identify floaters,include which of the following response categories?

A)strongly agree
B)strongly disagree
C)neutral
D)don't Know

Question 35

To improve respondents' memories about specific past events,______.

A)use in-person interviews
B)use open-ended questions
C)use self-administered surveys
D)use additional questions about these events

Question 36

The single most important requirement for obtaining an adequate response rate to a mailed survey is ______.

A)a personalized cover letter
B)a token financial incentive
C)a well-designed survey
D)sending follow-up mailings to nonrespondents

Question 37

The best option for reducing idiosyncratic variation in survey questions that measure a concept is to ______.

A)write questions clearly
B)balance response categories
C)use an index
D)use cognitive interviewing

Question 38

Filter questions are used primarily to ______.

A)select individuals for participation in surveys
B)limit certain survey questions to competent subgroups of respondents
C)investigate how respondents interpret questions
D)assess social and physical context of administration

Question 39

Anonymity exists when ______.

A)researchers limit information about respondents to trained staff.
B)no identifying information is ever collected to link respondent to responses.
C)the sample of respondents in a survey is selected purely by random.
D)the researcher only uses numbers to connect respondent identity to responses.

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT a problem for maximizing response rates in in-person interviews?

A)Respondent may be interrupted or distracted and fail to complete interview.
B)Difficulty in finding all the members of a sample.
C)Contact rates vary by location and household size.
D)Refusal rates vary with individual characteristics like education.

Question 41

The type of survey design that is most expensive per completed survey is ______.

A)mailed survey
B)group survey
C)phone survey
D)in-person interview

Question 42

The ethical question that arises most frequently for group surveys is ______.

A)respondents may feel coerced to complete surveys
B)respondents may discuss their answers with one another
C)it is very difficult to establish confidentiality within a group
D)informed consent cannot be given by group leaders

Question 43

The popularity of survey research is due to ______.

A)control over extraneous influences in the mode
B)versatility,efficiency,and the generalizability of results
C)the anonymity guaranteed to the research subject by the investigator
D)relatively high degree of population turnover

Question 44

Previously published questions do not usually need to be pretested when used in a new population.

Question 45

Surveys are a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States..

Question 46

In survey questions,when response choices fall on a continuum,the number of positive and negative response categories should be equal.

Question 47

Survey methods have difficulties collecting data from large populations.

Question 48

What guideline does the following question violate in terms of guidelines for writing questions: Do you disagree that there should not be a quiz on Chapter 8?

A)avoid double negatives
B)avoid double-barreled questions
C)minimize risk of biased words
D)avoid making disagreement or agreement disagreeable

Question 49

______ occurs when individuals' responses vary because of their reactions to particular words or ideas in the question.

A)Fence sitting
B)Idiosyncratic variation
C)Floating
D)Bipolar response

Question 50

The survey instrument used in an in-person interview is known as a questionnaire.

Question 51

The following is an example of a double-negative question: Do you agree or disagree that taxes should not be raised again this year?

Question 52

Survey research involves ______.

A)the collection of in-depth observation and intensive interviews with key informants
B)a considerable degree of data dredging,often in official government records
C)randomization of subjects and manipulation of the independent variable
D)the systematic collection of data from individuals using responses to standardized questions

Question 53

Questions are the centerpiece of survey research.

Question 54

Fence-sitters are people who are neutral but will choose an answer if not given a neutral response choice.

Question 55

A phone survey conducted with random digit dialing has all but which of the following features?

A)designation of telephone exchanges to be called
B)machine-based calling of random phone numbers
C)postcard follow-ups to those who don't answer the phone
D)screening questions to identify appropriate respondents

Question 56

What is NOT a reasons for increased nonresponse rates of telephone surveys?

A)the growth of telemarketing
B)the increase in cell phone use
C)People are more likely to screen calls than they used to be.
D)All are reasons for the increased nonresponse rate.

Question 57

When the researcher has access to a respondent's personal information but promises not to disclose it,the respondent has been assured ______.

A)ethical consideration
B)social desirability
C)confidentiality
D)anonymity

Question 58

What guideline does the following question violate in terms of guidelines for writing questions: Do you favor or oppose tougher drug fines and longer mandatory sentences?

A)avoid double negatives
B)avoid double-barreled questions
C)minimize risk of biased words
D)avoid making disagreement or agreement disagreeable

Question 59

The General Social Survey is an example of an omnibus survey.

Question 60

Survey research involves the collection of information from a sample of individuals through direct observation.

Question 61

The central concern in a mailed survey is maximizing the response rate.

Question 62

Using shorter and less complex words on a survey will insult respondents with more education and so should be avoided.

Question 63

What makes a good survey questionnaire? Consider the questions themselves and the questionnaire as a whole.Why is it important to make sure you have a good questionnaire? How can you determine if you have a good questionnaire?

Question 64

Why are surveys so popular in the social sciences?

Question 65

Cover letters should be distributed to respondents in a group-administered survey.

Question 66

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of using an in-person survey,compared to a self-administered survey and a telephone survey.

Question 67

What is the difference between anonymity and confidentiality? When is each appropriate?

Question 68

Describe four different ways that surveys can be administered? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Question 69

Questionnaires should minimize the amount of "white space" between questions so that surveys don't seem long to respondents.

Question 70

What are the major advantages and disadvantages of electronic surveys?

Question 71

Apart from electronic surveys,how does technology facilitate the collection of survey data?

Question 72

Why are errors of nonobservation critical in survey research? Describe what these errors are and how different survey techniques attempt to compensate for them.

Question 73

A context effect refers to how questions on a survey influence how subsequent questions are interpreted.

Question 74

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of including neutral,middle alternatives in response choices for survey questions.

Question 75

How might one improve response rates in a mailed survey?