Deck 9: Survey Research and Other Ways of Asking Questions

Question 1

When dealing with sensitive issues it may be more effective to use a self administered questionnaire.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

For research that seeks to explore or explain why people commit criminal,delinquent,or deviant acts,which is the best method available?

A) observation
B) asking questions
C) participant observation
D) studying criminal records

Answer 2

B

Question 3

As a general rule,the interviewer should dress in formal attire to do the interviewing.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The term questionnaire suggests a collection of:

A) values
B) responses
C) answer options
D) beliefs

Question 5

It is usually best to begin a self-administered questionnaire with:

A) sensitive issue questions
B) age, gender, etc. questions
C) sexual behavior questions
D) the most interesting set of questions

Question 6

General population surveys and surveys of offenders tend to present what types of difficulties?

A) sampling error
B) validity error
C) generalizability error
D) sample error

Question 7

Survey research is generally weaker on validity and stronger on reliability.

Question 8

There are two basic options for researchers when asking questions; open-ended or closed-ended.

Question 9

Surveys may be used for descriptive,explanatory and applied research.

Question 10

Surveys that are designed for more than one purpose are known as?

A) open-ended
B) closed-ended
C) general purpose
D) targeted victim

Question 11

Surveys are best suited for studies that have what as their units of analysis?

A) individuals
B) groups
C) organizations
D) social artifacts

Question 12

The National Jail Census collects information every five years about federal prisons.

Question 13

The National Crime Victimization Survey can be used to evaluate local crime prevention programs.

Question 14

The subsequent questions in a series are called contingency questions.

Question 15

In the interest of being unambiguous and precise,survey questions should:

A) have questions with no more than 40 words in them
B) be generalizable
C) be clear
D) be reliable

Question 16

Questions that encourage respondents to answer in a particular way are known as:

A) unfair
B) biased
C) double-barreled
D) vague

Question 17

Focus groups usually consist of 15 to 20 people.

Question 18

What are the basic ways of administering questionnaires?

A) face-to-face interview
B) telephone interviews
C) self-administered
D) all of the above

Question 19

Face-to-face interviews are best for complex questions and other specialized needs.

Question 20

Inexperienced researchers tend to fear that their questionnaires will look:

A) too easy
B) too complex
C) too long
D) too cluttered

Question 21

All of the following may represent errors when constructing items for questionnaire except for:

A) the researcher uses long and complicated items
B) the negation of a question
C) the researcher uses short items
D) the researcher uses a combination question when they only want a single answer

Question 22

If a researcher tries to assess criminal victimization of the poor and disadvantaged,rather than using the term "welfare" in her questionnaire,which of the following is less biased?

A) assistance to the poor
B) on the dole
C) the underclass
D) public nuisance

Question 23

Which of the following represent potential problems with the use of open-ended questions?

A) possibility of misunderstanding and researcher bias
B) they can be quickly completed by the respondent
C) they do not limit the responses received
D) they result in lack of uniformity of answers

Question 24

Which is a potential problem when using self-report surveys with high-rate offenders?

A) sampling
B) recall error
C) representation
D) bias

Question 25

If,on a questionnaire,a respondent is asked "what do you feel is the most important crime problem facing the policy in your city today" they are being asked what type of question?

A) closed-ended question
B) open-ended question
C) contingency question
D) matrix question

Question 26

Which of the following is not collected routinely by the British Crime Survey?

A) offender demographics
B) self reported drug use
C) attitudes toward criminal sentencing
D) fear of crime

Question 27

As a general rule the interviewer should dress:

A) casually
B) formally
C) similar to the interviewee
D) however they would like.

Question 28

What procedures can help to guard against a socially desirable response when using self-report items?

A) one of the purposes of self-report items is to get socially desirable responses
B) ask what they think other people do before asking what they do
C) use legal definitions
D) ask only a few questions

Question 29

Contingency questions are appropriate when:

A) certain questions are clearly relevant to only some of the respondents and irrelevant to others
B) you want the respondents to write out an answer
C) you want the respondents to rank their answers on a scale
D) you want to impress the respondents with your questions

Question 30

Which of the following is not an advantage of the use of matrix questions?

A) they are faster to complete for respondents
B) they do not take much thought on the part of the respondents to answer
C) they use space efficiently
D) the format increases the comparability of responses given to different questions for the respondent as well as the researcher

Question 31

Which of the following represents a negative item?

A) drugs such as marijuana should not be legalized
B) it is fair to say that marijuana is a drug
C) unlike alcohol, marijuana does not make the user mean
D) marijuana is a more addictive than alcohol

Question 32

Closed ended questions are useful because:

A) they provide uniform responses
B) they are more valid
C) they are more generalizable
D) you always get a thoughtful answer

Question 33

Which of the following represent targeted victims surveys?

A) self reports
B) Uniform Crime Reports
C) National Crime Victimization Survey
D) Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring

Question 34

Which of the following is not necessary in the construction of closed-ended questions?

A) the response categories must be mutually exclusive
B) the response categories must be exhaustive
C) the researcher must be careful in structuring the responses
D) the response categories should be extensive

Question 35

Bias in questions can be established in which of the following ways?

A) questions that encourage particular responses
B) identify the name of either a prestigious or unpopular agency in the question
C) identify the name of either a prestigious or unpopular person in the question
D) all of the above

Question 36

Surveys may be used for all but which of the following?

A) descriptive research
B) motivational research
C) explanatory research
D) exploratory research

Question 37

In most cases the following months should be avoided when mailing questionnaires:

A) June, July, August
B) November, December, January
C) March, April, May
D) September, October, November

Question 38

Which of the following is not a concern when a questionnaire is not formatted properly?

A) respondents may miss questions
B) respondents may finish the questionnaire too quickly
C) respondents may throw the questionnaire away
D) respondents may become confused about the nature of the data desired

Question 39

One of the following is not accurate with respect to the construction of questionnaire items.Which one is inaccurate?

A) use only questions, no statements
B) short items are the best
C) avoid negative items
D) avoid the temptation to ask questions in a manner that determines a specific answer

Question 40

When the potential respondent first opens their door,the interviewer must establish?

A) their knowledge
B) their authority
C) rapport
D) the purpose of the interview

Question 41

When follow-ups are planned with mail surveys:

A) response bias is not an issue
B) the anonymity of respondents is not guaranteed
C) the response rate increases
D) none of the above

Question 42

Probably the most important ability for interviewers to have is the ability to:

A) dress in a fashion that is similar to the people being interviewed
B) determine very quickly the kind of person the respondent will feel most comfortable with
C) rephrase questions so that they make sense to the respondent
D) all of the above

Question 43

Which of the following would is an accepted method for increasing response rates in mailed surveys?

A) go to the respondents home and pick up the questionnaire
B) include a self addressed stamped envelope
C) contact the non-respondents by telephone
D) send out only one original mailing with no follow ups

Question 44

Which of the following is not an advantage of telephone surveys?

A) respondents are eager to participate
B) they save time and money compared to face-to-face interviews
C) there is greater control over data collection
D) researchers' appearance is not important

Question 45

"What is your opinion on the death penalty?" is an example of which type of question?

A) closed ended question
B) open ended question
C) matrix question
D) contingency question

Question 46

"Do you support the reduction of property taxes and the construction of a state prison near Atlanta?" is an example of what sort of question?

A) double-barreled
B) biased
C) negative
D) too long

Question 47

In general,survey research is:

A) strong on reliability and strong on validity
B) strong on reliability and weak on validity
C) weak on reliability and strong on validity
D) weak on reliability and weak on validity

Question 48

In contrast to interviews,self-administered questionnaires have the advantages of:

A) being more effective in dealing with complicated issues
B) producing fewer incomplete questionnaires
C) dealing with the context of social life
D) handling sensitive issues more effectively if surveys are anonymous

Question 49

"What is your gender? male female" is an example of which type of question?

A) closed ended question
B) open ended question
C) matrix question
D) contingency question

Question 50

Which type of question should be avoided on a questionnaire?

A) short items
B) contingency questions
C) ambiguous questions
D) matrix questions

Question 51

The following is an example of which type of question? Q1: Have you ever protested against the death penalty? -yes
-no If you answer yes,go to Q2
Q2: Where did the protest take place? __________________

A) closed ended question
B) open ended question
C) matrix question
D) contingency question

Question 52

Which of the following have been identified as advantages of the use of computer assisted interviewing?

A) respondents seem to sense a greater degree of confidentiality
B) get more "productive" answers to questions dealing with topics such as drug use
C) increase the speed and efficiency of the responses
D) all of the above

Question 53

Which of the following statements is not true concerning surveys?

A) surveys are high on reliability
B) surveys are low on reliability
C) surveys are high on generalizability
D) surveys are low on validity

Question 54

In general,the longer a potential respondent delays replying:

A) the more valid their response will be because they are taking their time completing the survey
B) the more likely they will respond
C) the less likely they will respond
D) the less valid their response will be

Question 55

A mock jury is an example of:

A) open ended questions
B) interviews
C) focus group
D) survey designs

Question 56

Which of the following represent advantages to the use of computer aided interviews?

A) the cost of the hardware and software is quite high
B) large scale systematic error can happen
C) batteries of laptops don't last long, and computers and software are subject to malfunctions
D) they prompt the researcher with the questions

Question 57

What would be considered the minimum level for an adequate response rate for analysis and reporting of questionnaires?

A) 30 %
B) 40%
C) 50%
D) 75%

Question 58

Focus groups are most useful

A) when precise generalization to a larger population is essential and the focus groups' participants and the larger population are relatively heterogeneous
B) when precise generalization to a larger population is essential and the focus groups' participants and the larger population are relatively homogeneous
C) when precise generalization to a larger population is not necessary and the focus groups' participants and the larger population are relatively homogeneous
D) when precise generalization to a larger population is not necessary and the focus group participants and the larger population are relatively heterogeneous

Question 59

A reason why you should not contract with a professional firm for a survey might be that

A) drawing a sample is a complex process
B) they already have a pool of trained researchers
C) they may be trained in the intricacies of questionnaire construction
D) you are never sure if they follow the survey as you would

Question 60

The National Crime Victimization Survey is an example of which type of survey research?

A) targeted victim survey
B) self-report study
C) attitudinal survey
D) survey of beliefs

Question 61

If you want to ask several questions that have the same set of answer categories,the best type of question to use is the ____________________ question.

Question 62

questionnaires are generally the least expensive and easiest to complete.

Question 63

Specialized interviewing will consist of which of the following?

A) the interview schedule is less structured than sample surveys
B) uses general guide that includes topics, issues, etc.
C) questions are not presented in a standardized order
D) all the above

Question 64

Subsequent questions in series are called questions.

Question 65

Which of the following is accurate with respect to specialized interviewing?

A) concerned only the views and opinions of those individuals who are interviewed
B) concerned with the interview technique
C) only concerned with generalizing to the general public
D) ask questions of a large number of subjects

Question 66

What is an important consideration to think about when mailing questionnaires?

A) people don't like to have their name and address associated with the answers they give on a questionnaire
B) timing
C) people may not get their mail in time to return the questionnaire
D) people generally will not complete questionnaires

Question 67

With respect to telephone interviews,which of the following does not represent a problem for the researcher?

A) caller ID, which is common now in many households, may reduce the number of subjects that answer their phones
B) telephone surveys may reduce the risk to the researcher who would otherwise have to go door-to-door
C) telephone surveys are limited to those people with home phones
D) people can hang up, thus increasing the number of calls you must make

Question 68

Which of the following make surveys a good choice for doing research?

A) surveys can be given only once to the same population because they will learn from the prior survey
B) there are many methods of surveys that can be used with any given population
C) survey research is appropriate only for exploratory research
D) surveys have strong validity

Question 69

One technique borrowed from market research is the group which uses somewhere between 8 and 15 people.

Question 70

Respondents may develop a set or pattern of answering when answering matrix questions.

Question 71

Which of the following represent special problems when giving a self-report questionnaire to an incarcerated population?

A) inmates will admit to criminal acts they have not been charged with
B) inmates may be reluctant to admit committing crimes because of legal consequences.
C) inmates may have limited reading ability and that would influence their ability to answer questions.
D) you may not have considered all the potential responses

Question 72

Which of the following questions is best for a survey?

A) What grade did you get in your last criminal justice course and why did you get it?
B) If you did not do as well in your last criminal justice course was it because of the teacher, the book, the time the class was offered, or what?
C) What grade do you expect to get in research methods?
D) Why did you miss class so many times during the last semester and were your grades impacted by the misses or was it a good trade-off because you were doing things for your school organization?

Question 73

When we ask people for information they will respond using a filter of what will make them look good,which is known as social ____________________.

Question 74

In all but which of the following situations would a survey be the appropriate method of gathering data?

A) assessing the community's attitudes about community policing
B) interviews with offenders in prison
C) evaluation of a new law that your state legislature is proposing
D) assessing the opinions of prosecutors and judges about court docket delays

Question 75

When a researcher asks respondents for a single answer to a combination question their question is said to be
____________________.

Question 76

A(n) is frequently required for eliciting responses to open-ended questions.

Question 77

Which of the following is not an example of an advantage of computer assisted in-person interviews?

A) responses can be quickly entered into data files for analysis
B) complex questions can be automated
C) questions can be programmed in different languages
D) there is no opportunity for follow-up questions

Question 78

When the respondent is asked to provide his or her own answers to questions,they are answering
____________________ questions.

Question 79

How has NCVS broadened the scope of the responses it gets from the surveys?

A) it has asked more questions about demographic information
B) it has reduced unimportant questions and added more questions about victimization
C) it has included questions dealing with police-public contacts in order to assess experiences during traffic stops
D) it has questions concerning the relationship with the offender

Question 80

If the respondent must select an answer from among a list provided by the researcher,they are answering
____________________ questions.