Asking Questions - The Definitive Guide To Questionnaire Design ...

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202 ASKING QUESTIONS question indicates different answers are possible. As is usually the procedure in surveys, we did not mention that the test was intended to measure general intelligence, since this could make the respondents nervous. The scoring of the results, however, is based on norms established in standard intelligence testing. This question was included in a mail survey that the respondents filled out in their homes and mailed back. In the usual situation, knowledge questions would not be asked on a mail survey, since respondents could look up the answer or ask for help. For this question, however, there would be nothing to look up; and it is unlikely, although possible, that respondents consulted with others. Techniques and Strategies for Asking Knowledge Questions Sometimes researchers think they should do whatever they can to increase the percentage of people who answer a knowledge question correctly. Such efforts can instead only increase the amount of correct guessing. The key is to ask knowledge-related questions in a way that one gets the most accurate assessment of knowledge, not the highest assessment of knowledge. The following techniques can help you in this regard. Determining Level of Knowledge The examples suggest that knowledge questions help qualify respondent opinions and should be asked before attitude questions are asked. This order is essential if the knowledge questions are to screen out respondents who do not have sufficient information to answer detailed attitude questions. Even if all respondents answer the attitude questions, respondents will be less likely to overclaim knowledge and more likely to state that they do not know or are undecided in their attitudes if knowledge questions come first. If the attitude questions are asked first, respondents may feel they are expected to know about the issue and have an opinion. On
ASKING QUESTIONS THAT MEASURE KNOWLEDGE 203 many public issues it is more important to know that opinion has not yet crystallized than to force an answer. On many issues high or low levels of knowledge can be obtained, depending on the difficulty of the questions. The easiest type of question is one that asks “Have you heard or read about . . . ?” For example, a question asking “Have you heard or read about the trouble between Israel and the Arab nations in the Middle East?” received 97 percent “yes” answers in a 1973 Gallup Poll. When this same type of question was made more specific, however, asking “Have you heard or read about the recent Sinai Disengagement Pact between Egypt and Israel?” only 59 percent of respondents answered “yes.” Dichotomous and multiple choice questions can be somewhat more difficult for people to answer. The questions in Figures 6.9, which can be answered “yes” or “no,” illustrate the most common kinds of dichotomous questions. Other examples from Gallup are “Do you happen to know if the federal budget is balanced, that is, does the federal government take in as much as it spends?” and “From what you have heard or read, do you think we produce enough oil in this country to meet our present needs, or do we have to import some oil from other countries?” These questions are not strictly dichotomous since a “don’t know” answer is also possible. The “don’t know” answer is more likely to be given if a phrase such as “Do you happen to know . . .” or “As far as you know . . .” is included at the start of the question. Questions 2 through 11 in Figure 6.11 illustrate uses of multiple choice questions, in which the alternatives are given to the respondents. These are, of course, more difficult than dichotomous questions, since the possibility of guessing the right answer is reduced. In all these questions, the answer “I don’t know” is explicitly included to reduce guessing and to indicate that “don’t know” answers are expected and acceptable. More difficult still are questions that ask for details. Question 2 in Figure 6.5 and the questions in Figure 6.7 ask respondents for minimal identification about a person or company they have heard about. This information can include titles, reason for fame, and the
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Asking Questions The Definitive Gui
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Norman M. Bradburn Seymour Sudman B
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Copyright © 2004 by John Wiley & S
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viii CONTENTS 12. Asking Questions
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Preface This book is a revised and
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PREFACE xiii trate some of the subt
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The Authors Norman M. Bradburn (Ph.
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Asking Questions
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Chapter One The Social Context of Q
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THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF QUESTION ASKI
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Chapter Two Asking Nonthreatening Q
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ASKING NONTHREATENING QUESTIONS ABO
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Figure 2.4. Household Health Diary.
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Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census,
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80 ASKING QUESTIONS e. The Sealed B
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82 ASKING QUESTIONS asking about te
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84 ASKING QUESTIONS Figure 3.2. Que
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86 ASKING QUESTIONS into a car, mig
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88 ASKING QUESTIONS relationship be
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90 ASKING QUESTIONS from 55 percent
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92 ASKING QUESTIONS Illegal Drug Us
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94 ASKING QUESTIONS drinkers—may.
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100 ASKING QUESTIONS It must be rec
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102 ASKING QUESTIONS To illustrate
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104 ASKING QUESTIONS This applies t
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106 ASKING QUESTIONS When some resp
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108 ASKING QUESTIONS drinking quest
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110 ASKING QUESTIONS them less thre
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112 ASKING QUESTIONS Determining th
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114 ASKING QUESTIONS carefully for
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Chapter Four Asking Questions About
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ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT ATTITUDES AN
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Page 171 and 172: Chapter Five Asking and Recording O
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252 ASKING QUESTIONS Seven Steps to
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254 ASKING QUESTIONS the frequency
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256 ASKING QUESTIONS The fourth ste
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258 ASKING QUESTIONS empty cells. I
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Chapter Nine Asking Standard Demogr
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ASKING STANDARD DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIO
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Chapter Ten Organizing and Designin
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ORGANIZING AND DESIGNING QUESTIONNA
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Fill- Ins Easily done with a Possib
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Chapter Eleven Questionnaires from
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QUESTIONNAIRES FROM START TO FINISH
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Chapter Twelve Asking Questions FAQ
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ASKING QUESTIONS FAQS 325 tain you
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Do you own an IBM-type of PC? Yes
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ASKING QUESTIONS FAQS 329 Ranking q
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ASKING QUESTIONS FAQS 331 guish bet
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ASKING QUESTIONS FAQS 333 activitie
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336 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RECOMMENDED RE
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348 GLOSSARY object. The term belie
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350 GLOSSARY are entered directly i
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352 GLOSSARY the sex of the respond
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354 GLOSSARY of an IBM card is a on
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356 GLOSSARY individual difference
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358 GLOSSARY overreporting, underre
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360 GLOSSARY because of illness or
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362 GLOSSARY response effect A gene
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364 GLOSSARY questionnaires list th
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Index A Ability, measuring, 197-202
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INDEX 369 Denver, 86; Community che
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INDEX 371 Library card ownership, 8
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INDEX 373 preferences, 167-168; thr
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Appendix A List of Academic and Not
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APPENDIX A 377 Phoenix, AZ 85003-17
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APPENDIX A 379 Fax: 310-206-4453 E-
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APPENDIX A 381 800 Florida Ave., N.
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APPENDIX A 383 E-mail: jbason@arche
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APPENDIX A 385 Phone: 312-996-5300
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APPENDIX A 387 Phone: 785-532-5510
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APPENDIX A 389 Center for the Study
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APPENDIX A 391 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-
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APPENDIX A 393 731 Oldfather Hall L
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APPENDIX A 395 New York Marist Coll
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APPENDIX A 397 Cornell University I
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APPENDIX A 399 225 South Main St. A
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APPENDIX A 401 121 University Pl. P
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APPENDIX A 403 South Dakota Busines
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APPENDIX A 405 Public Policy Resear
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APPENDIX A 407 E-mail: sesrc@wsu.ed
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APPENDIX A 409 England National Cen
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412 APPENDIX B PLEASE CIRCLE ONE CO
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414 APPENDIX B 14. Who purchased th
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416 APPENDIX B 23. What racial/ethn
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Faculty Retention Survey December 2
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2. Professional Life Important to y
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4. Environment Important to you Imp
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Appendix D Kinko’s: Open-ended Se
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