Chapter 7 Key Terms

Acquiescence bias

Tendency for respondents to answer agree to close-ended attitudinal questions. These questions assess a respondents emotional response to a topic.

Anonymity

When no identifying information can be linked to a participant - even the researcher cannot trace identities

Attrition

Loss of a sample over time, usually due to death or dropout

Audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI)

An interview where a respondent uses a computer to respond to pre-recorded questions

Close-ended questions

A focused interview question to which respondents can only respond in preselected ways

Codebook

A system of organizing information about a data set. Lists all the questions in a survey along with their responses

Cognitive interview

An interview with participants that aims to understand how they interpret particular questions and terms. Participants usually think out loud as they answer questions. This is also called a cognitive pretest

Composite measure

A measure that combines multiple items to create a larger value that covers a multifaceted concept

Computer asisted personal interview (CAPI)

A face-to-face interview in which a researcher uses a laptop with pre-programmed questions and answers.

Computer-assisted telephone interview

A telephone interview in which a researcher uses a laptop with pre-programmed questions and answers.

Confidentiality

When participants identifying information is only available to the research team

Coverage error

A type of error that occurs when the sampling frame does not capture all of the target population, either by systematically excluding some or by including others more than once.

Cross-sectional survey

A survey in which data are collected at only one time point

Dichotomous outcome

When only two options are available to a question such as yes or no

Double-barreled question

A question that asks about two or more concepts or ideas in one question

Exhaustive

Preset response categories to give all participants at least one accurate response

Forced choice

Survey questions that do not offer options such as “neither agree nor disagree” therefore forcing the participant to indicate their leaning towards agreeing or disagreeing.

Frequency distribution

A presentation of the possible values of a variable along with the number of observations for each variable that was observed

Index

A composite measure that sums up responses to survey items capturing a key elements of a particular concept being measured

Interviewer schedule

A prepared list of questions and follow up prompts that the interviewer asks the respondent

Interviewer effects

the phenomenon that the mere presnece of an interviewer, or the intervewers characteristics, may influence the asnwers given by the respondent

Key informant

Someone who is quite central or popular in the research setting and shares information with the researcher about the social setting

Likert Scale

A scale that guages the respondents level of agreement or disagreement with a particular statement

longitudinal survey

A survey in which data are collected at multiple time points

Measurement error

A type of error that occurs when the approach used to measure a particular variable affects of biases the response provided

Mode effects

The ways that the mode of administration might effect the respondents answers

Mode of administration

The way the survey is administered, such as face-to-face, over the phone, or online

Mutually exclusive

Preset response categories that do not overlap with one another, ensuring that repondents select the single best category that captures their views

Open-ended questions

A broad interview question to which subjects are allowed to answer in their own words rather than preset options

Order effects

When the order in which questions appear bias responses

Panel survey

A type of longitudinal survey which gathers data from the same subjects at multiple time points

Paper-and-pencil inteview

A type of survey where the researcher copies the respondents answers in a pre-printed copy of the survey booklet.

Paradata

Information about the process for which survey data were collected

Poll

A bried single topic survey

Primary data cllection

When researchers design and carry out their own data collection

Priming effects

A type of order effects in whcih exposure to an image, word, or feeling shapes how a respondent will think and feel in the immediate aftermath

Ranking items

A type of open-ended quesiton in which respondents rank-order their priorities or preferences

Repeated cross-sectional survey

A longitudinal study in which data are collected from different groups at multiple times

Response categories

Preset responses on a survey

Response rate

Proportion of people contacted to participate in the study who actually do

Response set

The tendency to select the same answer to a series of questions, perhaps out of boredom

Sampling error

The difference between the estimates from a sample and the true parameter that arise due to random chance

Scale

A composite measure that averages responses to a series of related items that capture a single concept or trait, such as depressive symptoms or self esteem

Screener question

A question that serves as a gateway (or detour to) a follow up question; also called a screener question

Secondary data source

A resource collected by someone else

Self-administered questionnaire

A surey completed directly by participants either through mail or online

Showcard

A preprinted card that reminds the participants of all the response options for a particular question or questions

Skip pattern

A question or series of questions associated with a conditional response to a prior question

Social desirablity bias

A type of bias tha occurs when participants report positively valued behaviors and attitudes rather than giving truthful responses

Spli-ballot design

A study in whihc a randomly selected subset of respondents, typicall 50% of those persons selected to participate in a survey, recieves a short set of questions on designated topics (a topical module) while the other 50% receieves a differnet topical ballot

Stem

The part of the surrvey that presents the issue that the survey is asking about

Survey

A research methos where researchers ask people to respond to questions

Survey instrument

The types of questions asked, the response categories provided, and guidelines that help survey designers organize their questions