Questionnaires
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 7.2.3
Questionnaire Construction
When designing a self-report study, the wording of questions is very important, as badly worded questionnaires can lead to flawed data. One key consideration is the use of open and closed questions.
Importance of wording
- When designing a questionnaire survey, the wording of questions is incredibly important as the researcher will not be present to clarify things for a participant.
Wording flaws
- Flaws in questionnaire wording could include:
- The use of jargon, making the question hard to understand.
- Leading questions, biasing participant responses.
- Vague questions, where it is unclear what is being asked.
- Offensive questions, where particular groups might be upset by the questions.
Closed questions
- Questionnaires tend to make use of closed questions, where a selection of options are provided. These include:
- Yes-no questions.
- Multiple choice questions.
- Likert scales, such as where a scale from 1-7 is used to indicate how strongly someone agrees or disagrees with a statement.
Open questions
- Another design option is to provide open questions, where the participant can write what they like.
- These provide richer detail, but are harder to summarise and analyse because each participant can write something different.
Combination
- Interviews can also use both open and closed questions.
- While wording is important, the face-to-face format makes it possible for a researcher to clarify a question.
Follow-up questions
- Interviews may include a series of possible follow-up questions which can be asked, dependant on what the participant says to an earlier question.
Strengths and Limitations of Questionnaires
Here are the strengths and limitations of questionnaires.
Strengths
- Reliable – easy to replicate.
- Ethical.
- Gather lots of data quickly.
- Closed questions generate quantitative data and are easy to analyse.
Limitations
- Lacks validity.
- Demand characteristics.
- Social desirability.
- Difficult to write questions which are not leading or unclear (need a pilot study).
Test yourself on Questionnaires
Which of the following is NOT a common wording flaw?
What is the type of question called where the participant isn't constrained in what form they respond?
Strengths of questionnaires.
Limitations of questionnaires.
Which of these is NOT a limitation of questionnaires?