Contents

CHAPTER 5: Survey Research 179identifying causal relationships when used in combination with sophisticatedstatistical techniques (such as analyses of mediators and moderators in pathanalysis) and the multimethod approach.KEY CONCEPTScorrelational research 138population 141sample 142representativeness 143selection bias 143nonprobability sampling 144probability sampling 144simple random sampling 145stratified random sampling 147response rate bias 149interviewer bias 150cross-sectional design 154successive independent samplesdesign 155longitudinal design 158questionnaire 162social desirability 174spurious relationship 176REVIEW QUESTIONS1 Briefly identify the goal of survey research and how correlations are used withinsurvey research.2 Describe the information you would examine to determine whether survey resultsare biased because the sponsoring agency of the survey has a vested interest in howthe results turn out.3 What two characteristics do surveys have in common regardless of the purpose forwhich the survey has been done?4 Explain why there is likely to be a serious threat to the interpretability of the resultsof a survey when a convenience sample is used.5 Explain the relationship between the homogeneity of the population from which asample is to be drawn and the size of a sample needed to ensure representativeness.6 Explain why you would choose to use a mail survey, personal interviews, telephoneinterviews, or an Internet survey for your survey-research project.7 Explain why it is not possible to conclude a sample does not represent a populationsimply by knowing that the response rate was 50%.8 What are the major advantages and disadvantages of Internet surveys?9 Describe the relationship that would need to exist among the samples in a successiveindependent samples design in order to be able to interpret population changes inattitudes over time.10 You are interested in assessing the direction and extent of change over time in theopinions of individual respondents. Identify the survey-research design you wouldchoose, and explain why you would make this choice.11 Describe one method for determining the reliability and one method for determiningthe validity of a self-report measure.12 Describe three factors that affect the reliability of self-report measures in surveyresearch.13 How would you respond if someone told you that survey results were uselessbecause people do not respond truthfully to questions on surveys?14 Explain why “correlation does not imply causation,” and explain how correlationalevidence can be useful in identifying potential causes of behavior.15 Define mediator and moderator and provide an example of each.