Strategic Research I: Chapter 12
What is the general rule about response categories for a rating scale question?
Between 4 and 7 responses
What is something you need to be sensitive of in regards to rank order questions?
the number of listed items
What are the three common types of nominal level questions?
dichotomous, multiple choice, and checklist
What must each question satisfy, regardless of format?
1.explicitly state the respondents task in simple language 2.use simple active sentences and commonly used language 3.avoid bias 4.avoid multiple informational requests in a single question 5.avoid ambiguity 6.avoid assumptions 7.justify requests for personal information 8.provide a reasonable time frame for behavioral questions
What are two considerations in writing constant sum questions?
1.manageable number of options 2.# of points to be allocated needs to be determined
What is a constant sum question?
A ratio measure that requires a respondent to divide a preset quantity (the constant sum) among two or more objects or attributes in a way that reflects the respondent's relative preference for each object, the relative importance of each attribute or the degree to which the target object possesses each attribute.
What is an example of a rating scale question?
How believable or unbelievable was the commercial you just saw? very believable________ slightly believable ____ neither believable nor unbelievable_____ slightly unbelievable_______ very unbelievable______
What are two important considerations when using a semantic differential scale?
Many respondents may be unfamiliar with this type of question so instructions must explicitly explain how to mark the scales. Care also must be taken as to the placement of the bipolar adjectives.
What are ordinal level questions?
Questions that ask respondents to order a list of items in terms of a predefined characteristic.
What are rules of multiple choice questions?
The responses must be placed in alphabetical order, so that the respondents don't assume that the choices appearing first are somehow "better." You also must provide a zero option distinct from the other response options, make sure the categories are relatively balanced, and the typical behavior appears near the center of the list.
What does it mean for a category to be exhaustive?
There is an appropriate response for every respondent, that is, every respondent fits someplace.
What is an example of a dichotomous question?
What is your gender? Male________ Female ________
What is a checklist?
a nominal measure that combines a series of related dichotomous questions into a single question. This approach results in a less time consuming and tedious method of data collection versus asking each question individually.
What is a semantic differential question?
an interval level question that asks a respondent to rate an object on a number of related, seven-point scales bounded on each end by one of two bipolar adjectives.
What do rating scales do?
ask the respondent to select one option from among the members of an explicit, well-defined continuum.
What do nominal level questions do?
categorize respondents and responses through the use of mutually exclusive response options.
What does a skip pattern do?
it tells the respondent which next question to answer based on their response of a pervious question.
What are multiple choice questions?
nominal measures that present 3 or more exclusive and exhaustive categories of response.
What are the four levels of measurement?
nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio
What do interval level questions do?
provide information on the rank order of items and provide an estimate of the relative distance between items.
What are ratio level questions?
questions that measure objects, behaviors, and beliefs on a continuum with a fixed, zero origin. Placement on this continuum reflects the degree to which the measured object, behavior, or belief possesses more, less, or even none of the target characteristic.
What are rank order questions?
questions that present a respondent with several characteristics, objects, or attributes and then requests the respondent to order or rank them with respect to a specific characteristic.
What are the advantages of multiple choice questions?
the format is flexible and appropriate to a wide range of situations, they provide much of the same flexibility as open-ended questions, but without asking respondents to verbalize their thoughts and express themselves and they are easier to code, tabulate, and analyze versus open ended questions.
What are the important characteristics of a checklist question?
the question must explicitly define the criteria on which items in the checklist are to be selected. The question must not assume that the respondent will check any specific number of items. It should be in alphabetical order. Words and phrases should contain equal numbers of positive and negative items placed in random order.
What do responses to these types of questions inform researchers of?
the relative ordering of items
What is a dichotomous question?
the simplest type of nominal measurement, used to classify individuals, objects, attitudes, or other responses into one of two mutually exclusive groups.
What does it mean for a category to be exclusive?
there is no overlap across response categories and each respondent fits into only one category.
What are the advantages of a dichotomous question?
they are easy for a respondent to answer and they are simple to edit, code, tabulate, and analyze.
Why do we use open ended questions?
to minimize or eliminate potential bias when presenting a respondent with predetermined sets of responses.
What is an example of semantic differential?
trustworthy__ __ __ __ __ __ __untrustworhty
When are multiple choice questions used?
when the need is to categorize the characteristics or attributes of respondents or responses into smaller, more focused categories than are permitted by dichotomous questions.
When should dichotomous questions not be used?
when the question is too detailed
