CRIM_220_-_Lecture_7_-_Surveys

Lecture Introduction

• Date: March 6, 2025

• Lecture Number: 7

• Course: CRIM 220: Research Methods in Criminology

• Instructor: Chelsey Lee

Common Survey Topics

• Victimization

  • Focus on self-report experiences of victims to gather qualitative data on crime impact

• Offending

  • Investigate the frequency and prevalence of various crimes within different demographics

• Attitudes & Beliefs

  • Analyze public perception of crime and the Criminal Justice System (CJS) to assess societal attitudes and the efficacy of existing policies

  • Useful for program evaluation and enhancement of future crime prevention strategies

Constructing a Questionnaire

• Importance of careful questionnaire design: Emphasizes the need for structured and well-thought-out questions to ensure accurate data collection and analysis.

General Layout and Format

• Readability: Ensure that all survey materials are easy to read and visually uncluttered to prevent respondent fatigue and enhance completion rates.

• Question Structure:

  • Avoid using abbreviations or technical jargon that could confuse respondents.

  • Keep one question per line to enhance clarity and avoid overwhelming respondents.

• Overall Length:

  • Be conscious of the survey’s length, aiming for a balance that maintains engagement without sacrificing completeness.

• Data Entry Consideration:

  • Design the questionnaire with future data processing needs in mind to facilitate seamless entry and analysis.

• Instructions:

  • Provide explicit and concise instructions for completing the survey to minimize confusion and improve response accuracy.

Question Wording

• Clarity:

  • Questions should be phrased directly to avoid ambiguity, ensuring all necessary information is included, such as relevant time periods.

• Language Considerations:

  • Avoid negative phrasing that can confuse respondents. For example, rephrase negative wording like "Do you disagree that there should be no mandatory minimum sentencing?" to a more straightforward format.

• Double-Barreled Questions:

  • These questions should be avoided as they can lead to confusion. For instance, the question "Do you support hiring more police officers and longer sentences for offenders?" should be split into two distinct questions.

Biased Questions

• Leading Questions:

  • Avoid phrasing that nudges respondents towards a specific answer, such as in the question, "Don't you agree that using illegal substances is a bad thing?"

• Loaded Questions:

  • Ensure questions do not assume past experiences or pass judgment, such as, "Have you stopped using drugs?" This question assumes that the respondent has used drugs in the past.

Social Desirability Bias

• Definition:

  • Respondents may answer in ways that align with societal expectations rather than reflecting their true beliefs or behaviors.

• Avoiding Bias:

  • State privacy provisions, frame questions as common practices and limit the use of value-laden language. For example: "Most people believe that drinking and driving is a poor choice. How strongly do you agree with this assessment?"

Response Formats: Open-Ended

• Advantages:

  • Allows for rich, detailed responses that are unrestricted by predefined categories, making them suitable for complex or sensitive topics.

• Disadvantages:

  • Responses can often be misinterpreted, and they present challenges in coding and may lead to significant instances of non-responses.

Response Formats: Closed-Ended

• Definition:

  • These questions come with predefined response options for audience selection.

• Advantages:

  • Quick to answer and easier to analyze due to clear selection criteria, reducing non-responses.

• Disadvantages:

  • Limited answer options may not capture the full range of respondent sentiments.

Question Types: Dichotomous

• Example Questions:

  • "Are you a CRIM major? (Yes/No)"

  • "What is your student status? (International/Domestic)"

Question Types: Multi-Option Checklist

• Example:

  • Participants can select from a list of ethnic identities, ensuring inclusivity, such as:

    • White (Caucasian, e.g., British, Irish, German)

    • East Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese)

    • Options for other ethnicities with an option to indicate no preference.

Levels of Measurement: Nominal and Ordinal

• Nominal Example:

  • Current living situation options, such as family home or SFU residence which categorize without inherent order.

• Ordinal Example:

  • Frequency of viewing 'Consent Matters' posters rated on a scale from "Never" to "Several times per week."

Levels of Measurement: Interval and Ratio

• Interval Example:

  • Sample rating statement such as, "The awareness campaign poster was visually interesting," rated on a Likert scale of 1 to 5 to indicate varying degrees of interest.

• Ratio Example:

  • Frequency of alcohol consumption measured per week, providing an absolute zero and allowing for a range of calculations.

Complex Question Formats: Contingency Questions

• Definition:

  • Utilize skip patterns to tailor follow-up questions based on prior responses, thus improving relevance and precision.

• Example:

  • If respondents answer "YES" regarding seeing campaign posters, ensure relevant follow-up questions are administered.

Complex Question Formats: Matrix Questions

• Definition:

  • A series of related questions combined to streamline responses, all using the same response options to maintain consistency in measurement.

• Example:

  • Attitudes towards gang affiliation rated on a consistent scale for all questions in the matrix format, illustrating correlation among items.

Assessing Question Content

• Guiding Questions:

  • Is each question necessary or useful?

  • Can questions be misinterpreted?

  • Could multiple questions be better than one?

  • Do respondents possess adequate knowledge to answer comprehensively?

  • Is specificity of the question appropriate?

• Solutions:

  • Utilize existing measures as a benchmark and conduct pilot testing to refine questions and identify any potential misunderstandings before the final administration.

Potential Issues

• Common Issues:

  • Common pitfalls such as floaters, fence-sitters, telescoping, and uneven response rates can significantly affect the quality and reliability of the data collected.

Consider Question Order

• Important Factors:

  • Be aware of potential order effects such as priming (where earlier questions influence later responses) and respondent boredom that can skew the quality of answers.

• Order Recommendations:

  • Start with engaging or interesting questions, follow with sensitive topics, and end with mundane questionnaires to keep participants invested.

Methods of Administering Surveys

• Overview:

  • A variety of survey methods will be explored in depth, aimed to provide researchers with the appropriate strategies to reach diverse populations effectively.

Self-Administered Surveys: Group Settings

• Advantages:

  • Economical with swift distribution, facilitating a higher response rate than some other methods due to committed group participation.

• Concerns:

  • Privacy can be a significant issue, as respondents may feel less willing to answer honestly in a group environment.

Self-Administered Surveys: Mail

• Advantages:

  • Offers improved privacy for respondents while remaining cost-effective and capable of reaching a broad audience.

• Concerns:

  • Problems related to low response rates, possible biases based on literacy, and considerable time requirements for administration and follow-up reminders.

Self-Administered Surveys: Online

• Advantages:

  • Cost-efficient with extensive reach spanning multiple demographics and easy data handling through digital platforms.

• Concerns:

  • Concerns arise about generalizability, low response rates, and challenges in question comprehension amid varying levels of technological proficiency.

Researcher Administered Surveys: Phone

• Advantages:

  • Cost-effective and adaptable in approach, allowing for real-time interaction and clarification of survey questions by the researcher.

• Concerns:

  • Researchers have limited control over the respondent's environment, which may impact their engagement and comfort level.

Researcher Administered Surveys: Face-to-Face

• Advantages:

  • Likely to yield high response rates with the added opportunity for clarifications at the moment, thereby increasing the quality of collected data.

• Concerns:

  • This method can be expensive, is time-consuming to conduct, and may introduce bias through the researcher’s unintentional influence during the interaction.

How to Increase Response Rates

• Strategies:

  • Strategies to enhance response rates include simplifying return methods, offering incentives to participants, ensuring appropriate timings for follow-ups, and providing informative cover letters outlining the purpose and significance of the survey.

Next Week's Midterm

• Focus:

  • Midterm #2 will encompass content covered from Weeks 6-9, featuring both multiple choice and short answer questions to assess understanding.

• Study Strategy:

  • Emphasize comprehension of concepts and their applications over rote memorization for optimal performance in the examination.