3.2 Surveys

Surveys Overview

• Surveys (or polls) gather information through self-reporting in various formats:

  • Online Surveys: Always accessible (e.g., purchase decisions).

  • In-person Questionnaires: Gather data during specific choices or events.

  • Interviews: Collect information post-events like stressful situations.

Example: Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) Survey

• Provides critical data on the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences:

  • Reported Statistics:

  • 64% of adults report at least one ACE.

  • 17% report four or more ACEs (data collected 2011-2020).

Impacts of ACEs

• Higher ACE scores correlate with increased risks for:

  • Chronic Health Conditions:

  • Heart disease, stroke, cancer, etc.

  • Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders:

  • Depression and various substance use disorders.

  • Health Risk Behaviors:

  • Increased likelihood of smoking, alcohol misuse, etc.

  • Social Outcomes:

  • Lack of health insurance, unemployment, etc.

Construct Validity of Surveys

• Validity depends on matching the information needed with the feasibility of self-reporting among participants.

  • Good Matches: Subjective perspectives, retrospective reports.

  • Poor Matches: Difficult to articulate feelings or behaviors (e.g., anxiety in infants).

Writing Effective Survey Questions

• Open-ended Questions: Allow diverse participant responses, gathering qualitative data but may complicate coding.

• Forced-Choice Questions: Offer limited response options (Likert-type), ensuring ease of data analysis but may sacrifice detail.

• Avoid Bias in Questions:

  • Eliminate leading, double-barreled, or negatively worded questions.

• Use Established Questionnaires: Utilize existing validated questionnaires or pilot new surveys for effectiveness.

Common Survey Issues

• Response Sets: Participants may provide consistent (and inaccurate) responses to save time.

• Fence Sitting: Hesitance to choose extremes leads to neutral responses.

• Social Desirability Bias: Participants may respond in ways they perceive as socially acceptable.

Practical Applications for Surveys

• Conduct surveys in real-world settings (e.g., ecological momentary assessment) to enhance validity.

• Anticipate and mitigate potential biases through careful question design and response options.

Testing Self-Understanding with Questions

• Engage with sample questions to identify the best methods for data collection and mitigate issues like fence-sitting and response sets.

Conclusion

• Surveys are a powerful tool for data collection, provided they are carefully designed, considering the validity of responses and the ethical implications of asking sensitive questions.