Research Methods Exam 3

Surveys & Polls

—Method of asking ppl to self-report their attitudes, behaviors, or opinions

—Conducted face-to-face, otp, written questionnaires, or online

—Diff ways of asking these questions

—Must ensure we’re collecting accurate data

Ensuring Construct Validity of Surveys/Polls

1. Choosing types of questions

2. Writing well-worded questions

3. Encouraging Accurate Responses

Types of Survey Questions

1. Open-Ended 

2. Forced-Choice

3. Likert Scale

4. Semantic Differential

Open-Ended Questions

Respondents can answer freely

Example of Open-Ended Question

“Comment on your experience as a student at SUNY New Paltz”

Pro and Con of Open-Ended Questions

Pro: Provides rich, detailed information

Con: Coding and categorizing responses is time-consuming

Forced-Choice Questions

Participants choose the best option from two or more choices, commonly used in political polls 

Examples for Forced-Choice Questions

• “For which candidate will you vote: A or B?”

• “What describes you best?”

  • I like being the center of attention

  • It makes me uncomfortable to be the center of attention

Pros and Cons of Forced-Choice Questions

Pros: Quick to analyze; clear, comparable responses

Cons: Limited insight; may not reflect true views

Likert Scale Questions

Respondents rate their level or intensity of attitude, opinion, or experience on a scale. Measures how respondents think.

Example of Likert Scale Questions

Scales typically range from one extreme to another, Common anchors:

• Strongly disagree—> Strongly agree

• Never—→ Always

Pros and Cons of Likert Scale Questions

Pros: Easy to interpret; captures degree of opinion

Cons: Can lead to neutral or patterned responses

Semantic Differential Format Questions

Respondents rate a target (concept, object, or person) using bipolar adjective pairs as endpoints. Measures how respondents feel.

Examples of Semantic Differential Format Questions

• boring——>exciting

• unpleasant—→pleasant

• disorganized—→organized

Pros and Cons of Semantic Differential Format Questions

Pros: Captures attitudes, flexible, quick, easy to compare

Cons: Interpretation varies, midpoints ambiguous

Likert vs. Semantic Differentials

• Both are rating scales used to measure attitudes

• Likert: focuses on agreement with statements (cognitive, belief-based), often used in psychology and social research for clear opinions

• Semantic Differential: focuses on emotional tone or perception (feeling-based), common in marketing or perception studies for emotional meaning

• The choice depends on what kind of info you want: 

  • Use Likert for what people think

  • Use Semantic Differential for how people feel

Writing Effective Questions

• Clear wording helps both researchers and participants understand questions accurately

• Common Pitfalls to Avoid:

  • Leading Questions

  • Double-Barreled Questions

  • Negative Wording

• Also consider: Question Order

Leading Questions

The goal of a survey is to capture respondents’ true opinions. Questions that suggest certain answers can bias responses. Sometimes two questions seem to be asking the same thing, but they yield very different responses based on the wording.

Example of Leading Questions

V1) How fast do you think the driver was going when he hit the other car?

V2) How fast do you think the driver was going when he smashed into the other car?

Solution to Leading Questions

Use Neutral Wording

Double-Barreled Questions

Asking two things at once in the same question; Causes confusion for the respondent and researcher

Examples of Double-Barreled Questions

• Do you agree with the new tax bill and immigration policies of this administration?

• Do you enjoy swimming and wearing sunscreen?

Solution to Double-Barreled Questions

• Split into separate questions:

  • “Do you agree with the new tax bill?”

  • “Do you agree with the immigration policies?”

• Keep each question focused:

  • “Do you enjoy swimming?”

  • “Do you enjoy wearing sunscreen?”

Negative Wording

Questions that use negatives; Can cause confusion for respondents

Example of Negative Wording

“Do you not support the new policy?”

Solution to Negative Wording

Avoid double negatives and using positive/neutral wording is easier to understand