Survey Design & Questionnaire Development Flashcards

What is a 'Likert scale' in survey design?

Answer: An ordered rating scale measuring the degree of agreement or disagreement with a statement

A Likert scale presents respondents with a statement and asks them to indicate their level of agreement (e.g., Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree), measuring attitude intensity.

What is 'social desirability bias' in survey design?

Answer: When respondents answer in ways they believe are socially acceptable rather than truthfully

Social desirability bias occurs when respondents overreport socially approved behaviors and underreport socially disapproved ones instead of answering truthfully.

What is a 'leading question' in survey design?

Answer: A question that subtly suggests the desired answer, biasing the respondent's reply

A leading question contains bias in its phrasing that guides respondents toward a particular answer, threatening the validity of the data collected.

What is the 'funnel approach' in questionnaire design?

Answer: Starting with broad, general questions and progressively narrowing to more specific ones

The funnel approach structures questionnaires by beginning with broad, unaided questions before narrowing to specific, aided ones, preventing earlier questions from biasing later responses.

What is the purpose of 'screening questions' at the start of a survey?

Answer: To qualify or disqualify respondents based on whether they meet the target criteria

Screening questions appear at the beginning of surveys to determine whether a respondent meets the eligibility criteria for the target population before they continue.

What is a 'double-barreled question' and why should it be avoided in survey design?

Answer: A single question asking about two separate issues simultaneously, making responses uninterpretable

A double-barreled question asks about two distinct concepts at once, making it impossible to know which part of the question the respondent is actually answering.