Chapter 7

double barreled question

A problem in survey research question wording that occurs when two ideas are combined into one question, and it is unclear wheather the answer is for the combination of both or one or the other question.

social desirability bias

a bias in survey research in which respondents give a "normative" response or socially acceptable answer rather than give a truthful answer.

probe

a follow up question or action in survey research used by an interviewer to have a respondent clarify or elaborate on an incomplete or inappropriate answer.

prestige bias

a problem in survey research question writing that occurs when a highly respected group or individual is linked to one of the answers.

threatening questions

a type of research survey question in which respondents are likely to cover up or lie about their true behavior or beliefs because they fear a loss of self-image or that they may appear to be indesirable or deviant.

matrix question

a type of survey research question in which a set of questions is listed in a compact form together, all questions sharing the same set of answer categories.

full-filter question

a type of survey research question in which respondents are first whether they have an opinion or know about a topic, then only the respondents with an opinion or knowledge are asked a specific question on the topic.

open-ended question

a type of survey research question in which respondents are free to offer any anwer they wish to the question

partically open question

a type of survey research question in which respondents are given a fixed set of answers to choose from, but in addition, an "other" category is offered so they can specify a different answer.

close-ended question

a type of survey research question in which respondents must choose from a fix set of answers

standard-format question

a type of survey research question in which the answer categories fail to include "no opinion" or "don't know."

contingency question

a type of survey research question in which the respondent next foes to one or another later question based on her or her answer

quasi-filter question

a type of survey research question including the answer choice "no Opinion" or "don't know"

funnel sequence

a way to order survey research questions in a questionnaire from general to specific.

order effect

an effect in survey research in which respondents hear some specific questions before others, and the earlier questions affect their answer to later questions.

context effect

an effect in survey research when an overall tone or set topics heard by a respondent affects how he or she interprets the meaning of subsequent questions

response set

an effect in survey research when respondents tend to agree with every question in a series rather than thinking through their answer to each question.

wording effects

an effect that occurs when a specific term or word used in a survey research question affects how respondents answers the question.

cover sheet

one or more pages at the begining of a questionnaire with information about an interview or respondent

floaters

respondents who lack the belief or opinion, but who gives an answer anyway if asked in a survey research question. Often, their answers are inconsistent

computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)

survey research in which the interviewer sits before a computer screen and keyboard and uses the computer to read questions that are asked in a telephone interview, then enters answers directly into the computer

interview schedule

the name of a survey research questionnaire when a telephone or face to face interview is used.