1. METHODS IN BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH
NINTH EDITION
PAUL C. COZBY
Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Discuss reasons for conducting research
Identify factors to consider when writing questions for interviews and questionnaires, including defining research objectives and question wording
Describe different ways to construct questionnaire responses, including closed-ended questions, open-ended questions, and rating scales

3. ASKING PEOPLE ABOUT THEMSELVES SURVEY RESEARCH
CHAPTER 7
ASKING PEOPLE ABOUT THEMSELVES SURVEY RESEARCH

4. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Compare the two ways to administer surveys: written questionnaire and oral interviews
Define interviewer bias
Describe a panel study
Distinguish between probability and nonprobability sampling techniques

5. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Describe simple random sampling stratified random sampling, and cluster sampling
Describe haphazard sampling, purposive sampling, and quota sampling
Describe the ways that samples are evaluated for potential bias, including sampling frame and response rate

6. WHY CONDUCT SURVEYS?
Provides a methodology for ask people to tell about themselves
Way to study relationships among variables and ways that attitudes and behaviors change over time
Provides useful information for making public policy decisions
Important complement to experimental research findings

7. CONSTRUCTING QUESTIONS TO ASK
Defining the Research Objectives
Attitudes and beliefs
Facts and demographics
Behaviors

8. CONSTRUCTING QUESTIONS TO ASK
Question Wording
Potential problems that stem from difficulty understanding the question:
- Vague or imprecise terms
- Ungrammatical sentence structure
- Phrasing that overloads working memory
- Embedding the question with misleading information

9. CONSTRUCTING QUESTIONS TO ASK
Important considerations when writing questions:
Simplicity
Double-barreled questions
Loaded questions
Negative wording
Yea-saying and nay-saying

10. RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS
Closed- Versus Open-Ended Questions
Number of Response Alternatives
Rating Scales
Graphic rating scale
Semantic differential scale
Nonverbal scale for children   
Labeling Response Alternatives

11. FINALIZING THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Formatting the Questionnaire
Should appear attractive and professional
Neatly typed and free from errors
Use point scales consistently
Refining Questions
Proof questions with others

12. ADMINISTERING SURVEYS
Questionnaires
Personal administration to groups or individuals
Mail surveys
Internet surveys
Other technologies
“Computerized experience-sampling”

13. ADMINISTERING SURVEYS
Interviews
Face-to-face interviews
Telephone interviews
Focus group interviews
Problem: Interviewer bias

14. SURVEY DESIGNS TO STUDY CHANGES OVER TIME
Questions Are the Same Each Time Surveyed
Tracks Changes Over Time
Panel Study
“Two wave”
“Three wave”

15. SAMPLING FROM A POPULATION
Confidence Intervals
Percentage of confidence that the true population value lies within an interval of the obtained sample
Sampling error or margin of error
Sample Size
A larger sample size reduces the size of the confidence interval

16. SAMPLING TECHNIQUES Two basic techniques for sampling
Probability Sampling
Each member of the population has a specifiable probability of being chosen
Nonprobability sampling
Unknown probability of any member being chosen

17. SAMPLING TECHNIQUES Probability sampling
Simple random sampling – equal probability
Stratified random sampling – divided into subgroups (strata) and random samples are taken from each strata
Cluster sampling – identify clusters and sample from three clusters

18. SAMPLING TECHNIQUES Nonprobability Sampling
Haphazard sampling – convenience sampling
Purposive sampling – sample meets predetermined criterion
Quota sampling – sample reflects the numerical composition of various subgroups in the population

19. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

20. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

21. EVALUATING SAMPLES Representative of the population Sampling Frame
- Actual population from which the sample is drawn
Response Rate
- % of respondents who complete
Reasons for Using Convenience Samples
Less costly
Can be representative