Biases
Social desirability response : form of motivated misreporting
Recall bias: form of unmotivated misreporting
Conventional wisdom
1. Use simple, familiar words (no technical terms, jargon & slang)
2. Use simple syntax
3. Avoid words with ambiguous meanings -> should be interpreted in one way
4. Strive for specific & concrete wording
5. Response options should be exhaustive & mutually exclusive
6. Avoid leading/loaded questions that push respondents towards a particular answer
7. Ask about 1 thing at the time (avoid double-barreled questions)
8. Avoid questions with single/double negations (i.e. negatively phrased words)
Optimize question order
1. Early questions > easy & pleasant to answer, built rapport between respondent & researcher
2. Beginning > explicitly address topic of survey in questions (as described prior to interview)
3. Questions on same topic should be grouped together
4. Question on same topic proceed from general to more specific
2
, 5. Questions on sensitive topics should be at the end
6. Include filter questions > avoid asking respondents questions that don’t apply
Always pretest the survey
10 Examples of biased survey questions
Survey bias example
1. Leading question: lead respondents to give “correct” answers > should use neutral words
2. Loaded question: force people to answer in a particular way, leads to dropout & unclear results
> keep respondents from explaining own opinions
3. Double-barreled question: ask 2 questions at once > should use only 1 subject per question
4. The absolute question: yes or no questions > don’t get the whole story
> should avoid using words like “always, all, ever, every”
5. Unclear question: avoid technical jargon & acronyms
6. Multiple answer questions: should be exhaustive & mutually exclusive
7. Prefer not to answer: include this option to avoid drop-outs
8. Include all possible answers: add “other” if needed
9. Use accurate scales: range from bad to excellent
10. Survey structure: personal & in-depth questions at the end
3
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Sofiexemmen. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.