Deck 12: Using Questionnaires and Scales

Question 1

Questionnaires and scales are widely used in survey research.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The issue of validity in relation to data collection methods, measurement validity, refers to the degree to which the data collection methods, as they are designed, can accomplish what it is that they are designed to accomplish.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

There are many software packages, such as Survey Monkey, SurveysPro, Snap Survey's Ltd and Question Pro, which facilitate the creation of questionnaires to be used in face to face (F2F) research on in online research (ORM).

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Questionnaires can be easily posted or emailed to large and/or geographically spread populations. They can also be placed on the Internet to allow for easy access globally.

Question 5

The term validity in research is a question of how valid the research is, how logical, how truthful, how robust, how sound, how reasonable, how meaningful and how useful.

Question 6

Online methods are commonly used, and they are very effective where the population has access to the technologies and the skills necessary to use those technologies.

Question 7

Projective techniques are indirect techniques through which researchers probe the beliefs, attitudes and feelings of respondents.

Question 8

Questionnaires are very precisely structured data gathering instruments.

Question 9

Questionnaires and scales are very precise data gathering instruments. They are designed to elicit short precise answers to concisely stated and precise questions.

Question 10

The use of an online software package is not helpful in terms of the aesthetics a questionnaire or scale. Such packages do not provide different options in terms of organisation and style.

Question 11

Quantitative data is precise and concise, while qualitative data tends to be complex, dense and often quite voluminous.

Question 12

The issues of validity and reliability are treated differently in quantitative and qualitative research.

Question 13

Scales are specially designed, highly structured, very focused, and usually short, data collection instruments.

Question 14

Sentence completion exercises are projective techniques. In a sentence completion exercise, the researcher starts a sentence and asks the respondent to complete it.

Question 15

A survey research methodology works well in large scale research projects.

Question 16

The term reliability in research relates to the dependability of the research, to the degree to which the research can be repeated while obtaining consistent results.

Question 17

The data gathered by researchers engaged in very large studies tends to be mostly or entirely quantitative data.

Question 18

Vignettes, sentence completion exercises and role play are all examples of projective techniques.

Question 19

Questionnaires are examples of projective techniques.

Question 20

As well as providing for the design of the data gathering method, an online package facilitates the administration of the instrument and the collation of results.

Question 21

It is important when administering questionnaires and scales to give clear instructions to respondents, instructions that they can easily understand and follow.

Question 22

Assumptions about the kind of knowledge that will be generated by the research are:

A)Elements of the theoretical framework.
B)Ontological assumptions.
C)Theoretical assumptions.
D)Epistemological assumptions.

Question 23

A Likert scale is useful in that as well as measuring the direction of attitudes it:

A)Also measures whether or not those attitudes are correct.
B)Also provides a map of those directions.
C)Also measures the speed of the attitudes.
D)Also measures the force of the attitudes.

Question 24

Vignettes are:

A)Rating scales.
B)Semantic differential scales.
C)Borgardus social distance scales.
D)Projective techniques.

Question 25

Sentence completion exercises are:

A)Questionnaires.
B)Scales.
C)Projective techniques.
D)Secondary sources of data.

Question 26

When the data collection methods are devised, the researcher then proceeds to:

A)Gather the data needed for the research project.
B)Review the literature.
C)Decide on a research methodology for the research project.
D)Analyse the data gathered.

Question 27

Assumptions about the nature of reality are:

A)Ontological assumptions.
B)Theoretical assumptions.
C)Epistemological assumptions.
D)Primary assumptions.

Question 28

The researcher works hard at producing a questionnaire and/or a scale that will be valid and reliable, that will provide the data needed for the research project, and that will be simple for the respondent to the research to complete.

Question 29

When used as a data gathering instrument respondents are asked to:

A)Rate the vignettes.
B)To view the vignette and then to comment on it.
C)Critique the vignette.
D)Investigate the vignette.

Question 30

Data gathering techniques are part of the:

A)Conceptual framework.
B)Theoretical framework.
C)Methodological framework.
D)Analytical framework.

Question 31

A semantic differential scale uses opposite adjectives and asks respondents:

A)To rate the phenomenon under investigation.
B)To describe the phenomenon under investigation.
C)To indicate which of the adjectives best describes the phenomenon under investigation.
D)Critique the phenomenon under investigation.

Question 32

The Bogardus social distance scale measures:

A)The social distance between different social and/or ethnic groups.
B)The different rates attributed by participants to different social groups.
C)The different attributes of different social groups.
D)The different customs of different social groups.

Question 33

Projective techniques are:

A)Questionnaires.
B)Scales.
C)Indirect techniques through which researchers probe the beliefs, attitudes and feelings of respondents.
D)Elements of the theoretical framework.

Question 34

Role play is:

A)A questionnaire.
B)A scale.
C)An element of the theoretical framework.
D)A projective technique.

Question 35

Questionnaires and scales are very precise:

A)Elements of the theoretical framework.
B)Data gathering instruments.
C)Means of data analysis.
D)Theoretical frameworks.

Question 36

Ambiguous questions are questions which have an unclear meaning, or questions that can have more than one possible meaning.

Question 37

The word code in a questionnaire refers to:

A)The oblique language used in the design of the questionnaire.
B)The code developed for each of the responses to each of the questions asked in the questionnaire.
C)The code word(s) the researcher uses for the questionnaire.
D)The code word(s) the researcher uses for the research.

Question 38

A response rate in a research project is a count of the number of valid responses received to a data gathering exercise.

Question 39

Using a rating scale, the researcher can ask participants in the research to:

A)Rate the phenomenon under investigation.
B)Explore the phenomenon under investigation.
C)Critique the phenomenon under investigation.
D)Describe the phenomenon under investigation.

Question 40

The use of complicated questions in questionnaires is encouraged.

Question 41

Leading questions in a questionnaire can:

A)Cause bias by leading the participants to a particular response through the way in which the question is framed.
B)Help respondents make up their minds about how to respond.
C)Aid the research by encouraging particular responses.
D)Facilitate the researcher by speeding up the data collection process.

Question 42

The issue of validity in relation to data collection methods refers to:

A)The degree to which the data collection methods, as they are designed, can accomplish what it is that they were designed to accomplish.
B)The reliability of the methods.
C)The complexity of the methods.
D)The extent to which the data collection methods emerged from the review of the literature.

Question 43

The researcher works hard at producing a questionnaire and/or scale that:

A)Will be easy to administer.
B)Will be simple to analyse.
C)Will be simple and short.
D)Will be valid and reliable.

Question 44

Ethnocentrism is:

A)Research that is aware of different ethnicities.
B)Research that is focused on different ethnicities.
C)Research that is undertaken by researchers with different ethnicities.
D)Viewing the world, and in this context consequently organising and designing data collection for your research, from your own ethnic or cultural perspective.

Question 45

The issue of reliability in relation to data collection methods refers to:

A)The degree to which the data collection methods, as they are designed, can accomplish what it is that they were designed to accomplish.
B)The complexity of the methods.
C)The degree to which the research can be repeated while obtaining consistent results.
D)The extent to which the data collection methods emerged from the review of the literature.

Question 46

It is important to ask:

A)Complex questions.
B)Simple, easy-to-answer questions.
C)The difficult questions.
D)All the questions you can.

Question 47

What kind of data is generally gathered in large scale studies?

Question 48

Outline some of the advantages of using software to develop surveys and questionnaires.

Question 49

Skips and filters are devices used in:

A)Experimental research.
B)Questionnaires to allow respondents to skip over questions that do not apply to them.
C)Laboratory research.
D)Industrial research.

Question 50

Because attitudes are believed to actually cause perceptions and behaviours:

A)It is important to isolate them.
B)They have become fundamental constructs for social scientists.
C)It must be possible to manipulate them.
D)It is essential that they be manipulated.

Question 51

The presentation of a questionnaire should be:

A)Highly stylised and fussy.
B)Long and laborious.
C)Complex and clearly scholarly.
D)Simple, succinct and professional.

Question 52

Why are questionnaires and scales highly structured data gathering methods?

Question 53

A pilot study is:

A)A luxury most research projects cannot afford.
B)Used to test the skill of the researcher.
C)A test of the design of the research project, or a test of the data gathering instrument(s) designed for the research.
D)Is only used in randomised clinical trials.