Survey Research

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Survey Research

• Measurement Methods

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SURVEYS

• SURVEYS ASK RESPONDENTS FOR INFORMATION USING
  VERBAL OR WRITTEN QUESTIONING
• RESPONDENTS ARE A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF PEOPLE

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GATHERING INFORMATION VIA SURVEYS

• QUICK
• INEXPENSIVE
• EFFICIENT
• ACCURATE
• FLEXIBLE

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PROBLEMS

• POOR DESIGN
• IMPROPER EXECUTION

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Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error
Random Sampling Error
Total Error
Systematic Error (bias)
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RANDOM SAMPLING ERROR

• A STATISTICAL FLUCTUATION THAT OCCURS BECAUSE OF
  CHANGE VARIATION IN THE ELEMENTS SELECTED FOR THE
  SAMPLE

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SYSTEMATIC ERROR

• SYSTEMATIC ERROR RESULTS FROM SOME IMPERFECT
  ASPECT OF THE RESEARCH DESIGN OR FROM A MISTAKE
  IN THE EXECUTION OF THE RESEARCH

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Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error
Administrative Error
Systematic Error (bias)
Respondent Error
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SAMPLE BIAS

• SAMPLE BIAS - WHEN THE RESULTS OF A SAMPLE SHOW A
  PERSISTENT TENDENCY TO DEVIATE IN ONE DIRECTION
  FROM THE TRUE VALUE OF THE POPULATION PARAMETER

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Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error
Nonresponse Error
Respondent Error
Response Bias
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Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error
Deliberate Falsification
Response Bias
Unconscious Misrepresentation
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RESPONSE BIAS

• A BIAS THAT OCCURS WHEN RESPONDENTS TEND TO
  ANSWER QUESTIONS WITH A CERTAIN SLANT THAT
  CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY MISREPRESENT THE
  TRUTH

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Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error
Acquiescence bias
Extremity bias
Interviewer bias
Auspices bias
Social desirability bias
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Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error
Administrative Error
Systematic Error (bias)
Respondent Error
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ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR

• IMPROPER ADMINISTRATION OF THE RESEARCH TASK
• BLUNDERS
• CONFUSION
• NEGLECT
• OMISSION

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Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error
Data Processing Error
Sample Selection Error
Interviewer Error
Interviewer Cheating
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COMMUNICATING WITH RESPONDENTS

• PERSONAL INTERVIEWS
• DOOR-TO-DOOR
• SHOPPING MALL INTERCEPTS
• TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS
• SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES

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PERSONAL INTERVIEWS
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Door-to-Door Personal Interview
Speed of Data Collection Moderate to
fast Geographical Flexibility Limited to
moderate Respondent Cooperation Excellent Versa
tility of Questioning Quite versatile
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Door-to-Door Personal Interview
Questionnaire Length Long Item
Nonresponse Low Possibility of
Respondent Lowest Misunderstanding Degree of
Interviewer High Influence of Answer Supervision
of Interviewers Moderate
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Door-to-Door Personal Interview
Anonymity of Respondent Low Ease of Call Back
or Follow-up Difficult Cost Highest Special
Features Visual materials may be shown or
demonstrated extended probing possible
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Mall Intercept Personal Interview
Speed of Data Collection Fast
Geographical Flexibility Confined, urban
bias Respondent Cooperation Moderate to
low Versatility of Questioning Extremely
versatile Questionnaire Length Moderate to
Long
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Mall Intercept Personal Interview
Item Nonresponse Medium Possibility of
Respondent Lowest Misunderstanding Degree
of Interviewer Highest Influence of
Answers Supervision of Interviewers
Moderate to high
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Mall Intercept Personal Interview
Anonymity of Respondent Low Ease of Call Back
or Difficult Follow-up Cost Moderate
to high Special Features Taste test,
viewing of TV Commercials possible
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MAIL SURVEYS
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MAIL SURVEYS
Speed of Data Collection Researcher has no
control over return of questionnaire
slow Geographical Flexibility High Respondent
Cooperation Moderate--poorly designed question
naire will have low
response rate Versatility of
Questioning Highly standardized format
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MAIL SURVEYS
Questionnaire Length Varies depending on
incentive Item Nonresponse High Possibility
of Respondent Highest--no interviewer Misundersta
nding present for clarification Degree of
Interviewer None--interviewer absent Influence
of Answer Supervision of Interviewers Not
applicable
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MAIL SURVEYS
Anonymity of Respondent High Ease of Call Back
or Follow-up Easy, but takes
time Cost Lowest
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How to Increase Response Rates for Mail Surveys

• Write a Sales Oriented Cover Letter
• Money Helps
• - As a token of appreciation
• - For a charity
• Stimulate Respondents Interest with
  Interesting Questions
• Follow Up
• - Keying questionnaires with codes
• Advanced Notification
• Sponsorship by a Well-known and Prestigious
  Institution

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Telephone Surveys
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Telephone Surveys
Speed of Data Collection Very fast Geographical
Flexibility High Respondent Cooperation Good V
ersatility of Questioning Moderate
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Telephone Surveys
Questionnaire Length Moderate Item
Nonresponse Medium Possibility of
Respondent Average Misunderstanding Degree
of Interviewer Moderate Influence of
Answer Supervision of Interviewers High,
especially with central location WATS
interviewing
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Telephone Surveys
Anonymity of Respondent Moderate Ease of Call
Back or Follow-up Easy Cost Low to
moderate Special Features Fieldwork and
supervision of data collection
are simplified quite adaptable to
computer technology
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Communication Media Questions
1. Fortune magazine tries to appeal to
executives. Recently, the editor was reviewing
the magazine's editorial policy. Among other
things the editor felt it would be helpful to
know how interested his readers were in each of
twelve topics. A one-page structured
questionnaire was constructed to collect data
from a sample of 500.   ____ Personal
interview ____ Telephone interview ____ Ma
il questionnaire
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Communication Media Questions
2. Your firm has just finished a radio
advertising campaign for a new department store
it recently opened in downtown Indianapolis.
The store is designed to appeal primarily to the
middle class. You want to measure the current
level of awareness of the store and its features
before deciding on next month's advertising
budget. A two-page structured questionnaire has
been prepared for this purpose. A sample size
of 500 has been set.   ____ Personal
interview ____ Telephone interview ____ Ma
il questionnaire
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Communication Media Questions
3. General Motors has developed a five-page
structured questionnaire to measure its dealers'
attitudes toward GM's sales representatives.
GM's sales representatives have frequent
interactions with each of the dealers to whom
they are assigned. GM plans to conduct a
national survey of 2,000 dealers.
  ____ Personal interview ____ Telephone
interview ____ Mail questionnaire
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Communication Media Questions

• 4. You work for the Indianapolis Bus Company and
  have
• developed a four-page questionnaire concerning
  consumer
• satisfaction with bus service. Included are
  several questions
• designed to uncover previously unidentified
  problems with the
• bus system. You want to conduct 400 interviews
  throughout the
• city. The attitudes and perceptions of those
  adults who have
• no alternative means of transportation are the
  most important
• part of this survey.
•  
• ____ Personal interview
• ____ Telephone interview
• ____ Mail questionnaire

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Communication Media Questions
5. Your firm has just developed a new product for
preventing car windows from fogging over. You
are considering marketing the product through
gas stations but would like to do a survey of 50
gas station managers in Chicago to get their
reactions to the product and its packaging
before making a final decision. You also feel
these managers might be a useful source of ideas
on how to promote the product.
  ____ Personal interview ____ Telephone
interview ____ Mail questionnaire