Deck 8: Survey Research

Question 1

The popularity of survey research is due to all of the following EXCEPT ______.

A) versatility
B) efficiency
C) anonymity guaranteed for all research subjects
D) generalizability of results

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In a survey using a split-ballot design, which of the following is true?

A) Surveys are mailed out in two batches separated by at least one week.
B) Different forms of a survey include some different questions and are administered to selected subjects.
C) Respondents in an interview are given separate forms to be sealed in individual envelopes.
D) Respondents are surveyed twice within a short interval to assess consistency.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In survey research, a fence-sitter is defined as someone who ______.

A) has conflicting opinions on most issues, whether or not they are addressed in the survey
B) gives a substantive answer to a question when he or she really does not know
C) delays giving an answer to controversial questions when interviewed in person
D) gives a neutral response to a question

Answer 3

D

Question 4

According to research, about ______ of the public will provide an opinion on a proposed law that they know nothing about in response to a closed-ended question that does not include "don't know" as an explicit option.

A) one tenth
B) one third
C) one-half
D) three quarters

Question 5

Which of the following is a advantage of a closed-ended question?

A) They specify more clearly the researcher's focus.
B) Survey questions must be understood in the same way by all respondents.
C) Responses are more likely to focus on the issue of concern to the researcher.
D) Responses can easily be scored and analyzed after the survey is completed.

Question 6

A hypothetical questionnaire was handed out to elderly residents. The questionnaire was designed to assess the elderly's perceptions of and experiences with neighborhood crime. One of the questions was the following:
How unsafe do you feel when you are not in your neighborhood?
a. a great deal
b. some
c. not too much
d. none of these
-Which guideline identifies the main problem in the preceding question?

A) Avoid confusing phrasing and vagueness.
B) Avoid negatives and double negatives.
C) Avoid double-barreled questions.
D) Make response choices mutually exclusive.

Question 7

A hypothetical questionnaire was handed out to elderly residents. The questionnaire was designed to assess the elderly's perceptions of and experiences with neighborhood crime. One of the questions was the following:
How unsafe do you feel when you are not in your neighborhood?
a. a great deal
b. some
c. not too much
d. none of these
-Which guideline identifies the main problem in the response choices?

A) Avoid confusing phrasing and vagueness.
B) Avoid negatives and double negatives.
C) Avoid double-barreled questions.
D) Make response choices mutually exclusive.

Question 8

A hypothetical questionnaire was handed out to elderly residents. The questionnaire was designed to assess the elderly's perceptions of and experiences with neighborhood crime. One of the questions was the following:
How unsafe do you feel when you are not in your neighborhood?
a. a great deal
b. some
c. not too much
d. none of these
-The response choices to this question are what type of responses?

A) open-ended
B) scale
C) contingent
D) fixed

Question 9

A hypothetical questionnaire was handed out to elderly residents. The questionnaire was designed to assess the elderly's perceptions of and experiences with neighborhood crime. One of the questions was the following:
The police are to blame for crime problems and should do more to protect its residents.
a. agree
b. disagree
-Which guideline identifies the main problem in the preceding question?

A) Avoid vagueness.
B) Avoid negatives and double negatives.
C) Avoid making either disagreement or agreement disagreeable.
D) Make response choices mutually exclusive.

Question 10

A hypothetical questionnaire was handed out to elderly residents. The questionnaire was designed to assess the elderly's perceptions of and experiences with neighborhood crime. One of the questions was the following:
A. How many times have you been a victim of crime?
a. never
b. 1-2 times
c. 3-4 times
d. 4 or more times
B. If you have been a victim of crime, what type of crime was it?
a. theft
b. assault
c. robbery
d. motor vehicle theft
C. Do you disagree that police officers should NOT have periodic performance evaluations?
a. strongly agree
b. agree
c. disagree
d. strongly disagree
-Which guideline identifies the main problem in the response choices for Question A?

A) Make choices exhaustive.
B) Avoid negatives and double negatives.
C) Make response choices mutually exclusive.
D) Avoid fence-sitting and floating.

Question 11

A hypothetical questionnaire was handed out to elderly residents. The questionnaire was designed to assess the elderly's perceptions of and experiences with neighborhood crime. One of the questions was the following:
A. How many times have you been a victim of crime?
a. never
b. 1-2 times
c. 3-4 times
d. 4 or more times
B. If you have been a victim of crime, what type of crime was it?
a. theft
b. assault
c. robbery
d. motor vehicle theft
C. Do you disagree that police officers should NOT have periodic performance evaluations?
a. strongly agree
b. agree
c. disagree
d. strongly disagree
-Part A of the preceding question is known as what type of question?

A) open-ended
B) filter
C) contingent
D) Likert-type

Question 12

A hypothetical questionnaire was handed out to elderly residents. The questionnaire was designed to assess the elderly's perceptions of and experiences with neighborhood crime. One of the questions was the following:
A. How many times have you been a victim of crime?
a. never
b. 1-2 times
c. 3-4 times
d. 4 or more times
B. If you have been a victim of crime, what type of crime was it?
a. theft
b. assault
c. robbery
d. motor vehicle theft
C. Do you disagree that police officers should NOT have periodic performance evaluations?
a. strongly agree
b. agree
c. disagree
d. strongly disagree
-Which guideline identifies the main problem for part C?

A) Avoid vagueness.
B) Avoid negatives and double negatives.
C) Avoid double-barreled questions.
D) Make response choices mutually exclusive

Question 13

A hypothetical questionnaire was handed out to elderly residents. The questionnaire was designed to assess the elderly's perceptions of and experiences with neighborhood crime. One of the questions was the following:
A. How many times have you been a victim of crime?
a. never
b. 1-2 times
c. 3-4 times
d. 4 or more times
B. If you have been a victim of crime, what type of crime was it?
a. theft
b. assault
c. robbery
d. motor vehicle theft
C. Do you disagree that police officers should NOT have periodic performance evaluations?
a. strongly agree
b. agree
c. disagree
d. strongly disagree
-Part B of the preceding question is known as what type of question?

A) open-ended
B) filter
C) contingent
D) Likert-type

Question 14

A hypothetical questionnaire was handed out to elderly residents. The questionnaire was designed to assess the elderly's perceptions of and experiences with neighborhood crime. One of the questions was the following:
A. How many times have you been a victim of crime?
a. never
b. 1-2 times
c. 3-4 times
d. 4 or more times
B. If you have been a victim of crime, what type of crime was it?
a. theft
b. assault
c. robbery
d. motor vehicle theft
C. Do you disagree that police officers should NOT have periodic performance evaluations?
a. strongly agree
b. agree
c. disagree
d. strongly disagree
-Which guideline identifies the main problem in the response choices for part B?

A) Make response choices exhaustive.
B) Avoid negatives and double negatives.
C) Avoid double-barreled questions.
D) Make response choices mutually exclusive.

Question 15

A hypothetical questionnaire was handed out to elderly residents. The questionnaire was designed to assess the elderly's perceptions of and experiences with neighborhood crime. One of the questions was the following:
A. How many times have you been a victim of crime?
a. never
b. 1-2 times
c. 3-4 times
d. 4 or more times
B. If you have been a victim of crime, what type of crime was it?
a. theft
b. assault
c. robbery
d. motor vehicle theft
C. Do you disagree that police officers should NOT have periodic performance evaluations?
a. strongly agree
b. agree
c. disagree
d. strongly disagree
-Part C of the preceding question is known as what type of question?

A) open-ended
B) filter
C) contingent
D) Likert-type

Question 16

Which of the following questions would be preferable for asking about texting habits?

A) How many times did you text in the last day?
B) How many times did you text?
C) How many times did you text in the last 6 months?
D) How many days did you use your phone in the last week?

Question 17

In order to increase response rate, the cover letter for a mailed questionnaire should be ______.

A) a short as possible
B) as vague as possible
C) contain as much jargon as possible
D) personalized

Question 18

Which of the following actions help to maximize the rate of response to a mailed questionnaire?

A) a compact design without extra open space
B) frequent skip patterns
C) numerous open-ended questions
D) an altruistic appeal in the cover letter

Question 19

A special concern in planning for a group-administered survey is the ______.

A) rate of response
B) need for multiple contacts
C) appearance of coercion
D) distractions from others

Question 20

Dr. Lee is hired as a consultant to design a survey to measure attitudes toward the death penalty. She must identify in the fastest possible time support for the death penalty that can be generalized to the general population. Which survey method should she use?

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

Question 21

Compared with other survey designs, which of the following is NOT an advantage of in-person interviewing?

A) The rate of response is maximized.
B) The questionnaire can be longer and more complex.
C) Respondents' interpretations of questions can be probed and clarified.
D) Respondents can have differing interview experiences.

Question 22

Which of the following generalizations about the response rate in interview studies is false?

A) Unusual social strains and disillusionment can reduce response rates.
B) People with less education participate less in surveys on political issues.
C) High-income persons participate less in surveys on economic issues.
D) Single-person households are easier to reach.

Question 23

Dr. Bermerge must design a survey of a national sample. The survey must include many questions, some of them complex with multiple branches and some of them of little interest to respondents. The questions do not tend to deal with personal or intimate matters. What would be the most advantageous survey design for achieving these goals?

A) mailed questionnaire
B) structured in-person interview
C) unstructured in-person interview
D) phone survey

Question 24

What is the recommended length for a survey?

A) 2 pages
B) 4 pages
C) 10 pages
D) 20 pages

Question 25

In order to reduce idiosyncratic variation, researchers should use which of the following?

A) open-ended rather than fixed-choice questions
B) multiple questions rather than single questions
C) single questions rather than multiple questions
D) phone surveys rather than mailed questionnaires

Question 26

Previous research indicates ______ between the length of a reference period and underreporting.

A) a positive relationship
B) a negative relationship
C) no relationship
D) No research exists.

Question 27

Which of the following is the cheapest type of survey?

A) mail
B) in-person
C) phone
D) electronic

Question 28

All of the following are disadvantages to electronic-based surveys EXCEPT ______.

A) not all households are connected to the Internet
B) it is more difficult to obtain honest responses to questions about sensitive issues
C) access must be limited to sample members
D) they require more programming by the researcher

Question 29

In order to save time, money, and effort, a group of criminologists, sociologists, psychologists, and political scientists combine their survey questions into one large questionnaire to be distributed to a group of students. This survey is known as a(n) ______.

A) omnibus survey
B) encompassing survey
C) dissertation survey
D) proposal survey

Question 30

In the original version of a survey, a question read, "I support three strikes legislation." The question was later revised to read, "I support or oppose three strikes legislation." The revised question is an improvement over the original version because the original survey question was ______.

A) vague
B) double-barreled question
C) double negative
D) biased

Question 31

Which of the following survey designs has the highest response rate?

A) mail
B) in-person
C) phone
D) electronic

Question 32

Which of the following surveys is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)?

A) Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)
B) National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)
C) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
D) all of these

Question 33

Which of the following surveys is sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)?

A) Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)
B) National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)
C) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
D) All of these

Question 34

What type of research involves the collection of information from a sample of individuals through their responses to questions?

A) qualitatative research
B) survey research
C) case study research
D) none of these

Question 35

Which of the following are popular features of survey research?

A) versatility
B) efficiency
C) generalizability
D) all of these

Question 36

What are the typical (low-end) costs of telephone-based surveys?

A) $1-$2 per person
B) $5-$10 per person
C) $10-$15 per person
D) $25-$30 per person

Question 37

What are the typical (low-end) costs of mailed surveys?

A) $1-$2 per person
B) $5-$10 per person
C) $10-$15 per person
D) $25-$30 per person

Question 38

What research method is the method of choice when cross-population generalizability is a concern?

A) focus groups
B) surveys
C) in-depth interviewing
D) content anaysis

Question 39

Which of the following is one of the most successful omnibus surveys?

A) Crime in the United States Survey
B) General Social Survey
C) National Victimization Survey
D) none of these

Question 40

Versatility is one of the features that make surveys popular.

Question 41

A reference period will decrease the reliability of a question.

Question 42

One issue with an omnibus survey is the lack of depth in any one substantive area because of the limited number of questions.

Question 43

Pretesting surveys is considered by the authors to be a waste of resources.

Question 44

Electronic surveys are better than phone interviews for questionnaires that involve sensitive questions.

Question 45

Demographic questions should always be included even if they have no importance in a study.

Question 46

The question order in a survey is important.

Question 47

A disadvantage of mixed survey design is that responses could differ because of the mode in which the question is being asked.

Question 48

In a standardized survey, the researcher is not permitted to rephrase a survey question if a respondent is unclear of its meaning.

Question 49

An open-ended question is the best way to ask respondents to disclose their income.

Question 50

It is recommended that researchers create new surveys and not build on already existing one.

Question 51

The maximum recommended time limit for phone interviews is 45 minutes.

Question 52

The survey's subject matter should help to determine whether demographic questions should be placed at the beginning or end of the survey.

Question 53

Poorly worded survey questions affect measurement validity.

Question 54

The General Social Survey (GSS) is adminstered every 10 years.

Question 55

The National Crime Victimization Survey relies on a split-ballot design for their survey.

Question 56

There is no precise formula for a well-designed questionnaire.

Question 57

An interview schedule refers to the survey instrument containing the questions asked by the interviewer for an in-person interview or phone survey.

Question 58

Identify four ways in which you could increase the response rate in survey research.

Question 59

Why is it more difficult to obtain representative samples in survey research than in previous decades?

Question 60

What are the advantages of fixed-choice questions?

Question 61

Review the pros of telephone surveys.

Question 62

Discuss the difficult of conducting surveys in domestic violence shelters.

Question 63

What are some of the issues involved when asking survey respondents about their race and ethnicity?

Question 64

What are the primary ethical concerns of survey research?

Question 65

List the survey methods (mail, electronic, in-person, telephone) from lowest to highest in terms of costs.

Question 66

Create a double-barreled survey question.

Question 67

What are the advantages of including a neutral response (e.g., "not sure") or a "don't know" option in a survey question?

Question 68

Define the follow three features of surveys: versatility, efficiency, and generalizability.

Question 69

Describe the split-ballot design and provide an example.

Question 70

Discuss two guiding principles of survey questionnaire construction.

Question 71

Provide an example of an open-ended question and a close ended question.