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

8 ASKING QUESTIONS
Note that introducing more details—such as specifying actual
dollars, specifying the length of the support, and reminding respondents
that unemployment benefits might have to be paid for
with increased taxes—changed the meaning of the question and
produced a corresponding change in responses. In later chapters
we will discuss in more detail how wording affects responses, and
we will make specific recommendations for constructing better
questionnaires.
Questioning as a Social Process
A survey interview and an ordinary social conversation have many
similarities. Indeed, Bingham and Moore (1959) defined the
research interview as a “conversation with a purpose.” The opportunity
to meet and talk with a variety of people appears to be a key
attraction for many professional interviewers. By the same token, a
key attraction for many respondents appears to be the opportunity
to talk about a number of topics with a sympathetic listener. We do
not know a great deal about the precise motivations of people who
participate in surveys, but the tenor of the evidence suggests that
most people enjoy the experience. Those who refuse to participate
do not refuse because they have already participated in too many
surveys and are tired; characteristically, they are people who do not
like surveys at all and consistently refuse to participate in them or
have experienced bad surveys.
Viewing Respondents as Volunteer Conversationalists
Unlike witnesses in court, survey respondents are under no compulsion
to answer our questions. They must be persuaded to participate
in the interview, and their interest (or at least patience) must
be maintained throughout. If questions are demeaning, embarrassing,
or upsetting, respondents may terminate the interview or falsify
their answers. Unlike the job applicant or the patient answering
a doctor’s questions, respondents have nothing tangible to gain