SURVEY DESIGN

Surveys are a common way to collect data across various industries. They are a wise choice if
you want to learn more about a group of people's traits, interests, viewpoints, or beliefs. The
number of survey participants is significant in this respect. You can increase the number of
survey participants with a good survey design.

Survey design is the creation of questions or other survey items,

placing them in a logical order, and selecting acceptable response

alternatives.

Surveys provide us with a powerful tool to uncover patterns, preferences, and perceptions.

For example, consider a psychologist studying stress levels among college students. By
designing a well-constructed survey, they can systematically collect data on stress triggers,
coping mechanisms, and the impact on academic performance. This not only helps in
understanding the problem but also in devising effective interventions.

NATURE OF SURVEY DESIGN

Survey design is a methodological framework used to collect data from a predefined group of
respondents to gain information and insights on various topics of interest. It is a vital tool in
psychological research, enabling the systematic gathering and analysis of data regarding
behaviors, attitudes, opinions, and other phenomena.

Key Elements:

1. Objective Definition:

 Clearly define the purpose of the survey. For example, understanding stress levels
in college students.

2. Target Population:

 Identify the group of individuals from whom data will be collected. This could be
a specific demographic, such as undergraduate students at a university.
 3. Questionnaire Development:

 Design questions that are clear, unbiased, and relevant to the research objectives.
Questions can be open-ended (e.g., "What factors contribute to your stress?") or
closed-ended (e.g., multiple-choice questions).

4. Sampling Method:

 Choose a sampling technique that ensures the survey results are representative of
the target population. Common methods include random sampling, stratified
sampling, and convenience sampling.

5. Data Collection:

 Select a mode of administration, such as online surveys, face-to-face interviews,

or telephone surveys. The choice depends on the nature of the study and the
accessibility of the target population.

6. Data Analysis:

 Apply statistical methods to analyze the collected data. This helps in identifying
trends, correlations, and drawing meaningful conclusions.

7. Reliability and Validity:

 Ensure the survey instrument measures what it is intended to measure (validity)

and produces consistent results over repeated applications (reliability).

Example in Psychology:

A psychologist studying anxiety levels in teenagers might design a survey with a series of
standardized questions about their daily routines, social interactions, and coping strategies. By
analyzing responses from a large, diverse sample, the psychologist can identify common
stressors and potentially effective interventions.
Importance:

 Efficient Data Collection: Surveys allow researchers to collect large amounts of data
quickly and efficiently.

 Versatility: Surveys can be adapted to various topics and populations.

 Quantitative and Qualitative Insights: Surveys can yield both numerical data for
statistical analysis and descriptive data for in-depth understanding.

In summary, the nature of survey design lies in its structured approach to data collection,
ensuring that researchers can systematically investigate psychological phenomena and derive
evidence-based conclusions.

GOALS OF SURVEY DESIGN.

Survey design in psychology aims to achieve several critical goals to ensure effective and
meaningful research. These goals include:

1. Understanding Human Behavior:

 Objective: Gain insights into behaviors, attitudes, and experiences of individuals

or groups.

 Example: A survey on coping mechanisms used by people with chronic stress

can reveal common strategies and their effectiveness.

2. Measuring Psychological Constructs:

 Objective: Quantify psychological traits, such as anxiety, depression, or self-

esteem, using reliable and valid measures.

 Example: Utilizing a standardized questionnaire like the Beck Depression

Inventory to assess levels of depression among participants.

3. Identifying Trends and Patterns:

  Objective: Detect patterns, trends, and correlations within the data to understand
how different variables interact.

 Example: Analyzing survey data to find correlations between social media usage
and feelings of loneliness among teenagers.

4. Informing Policy and Practice:

 Objective: Provide data-driven insights to inform policies, interventions, and best

practices in clinical and educational settings.

 Example: Survey results on student stress can guide the development of

university programs aimed at improving mental health support.

5. Exploring New Research Areas:

 Objective: Identify gaps in existing knowledge and explore new areas of

psychological research.

 Example: Using surveys to investigate emerging issues, such as the

psychological impact of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

6. Evaluating Interventions:

 Objective: Assess the effectiveness of psychological interventions, treatments, or

programs.

 Example: Conducting pre- and post-intervention surveys to evaluate the impact

of cognitive-behavioral therapy on anxiety levels.

7. Enhancing Generalizability:

 Objective: Ensure that findings are applicable to a broader population beyond the
sample studied.

 Example: Using random sampling techniques to gather data that can be

generalized to the entire population of a region or demographic group.
 8. Facilitating Longitudinal Studies:

 Objective: Track changes over time to understand long-term effects and

developments in psychological phenomena.

 Example: Longitudinal surveys tracking the mental health of individuals over

several years to study the progression and factors influencing mental health
disorders.

9. Improving Theoretical Models:

 Objective: Test and refine theoretical models in psychology through empirical

data.

 Example: Using survey data to validate a new theory on the relationship between
resilience and academic performance.

By focusing on these goals, survey design in psychology ensures that research is comprehensive,
accurate, and impactful, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of the human mind
and behavior.

BASIC STEPS OF SURVEY DESIGN

Creating an effective survey involves several systematic steps to ensure the collection of reliable
and valid data. Here are the basic steps:

Step 1: Define the population and sample

Before you start conducting survey research, you should already have a clear research
question that defines what you want to find out. Based on this question, you need to determine
exactly who you will target to participate in the survey.

Populations

The target population is the specific group of people that you want to find out about. This group
can be very broad or relatively narrow. For example:

 The population of Brazil

  US college students
 Second-generation immigrants in the Netherlands
 Customers of a specific company aged 18-24
 British transgender women over the age of 50

Your survey should aim to produce results that can be generalized to the whole population. That
means you need to carefully define exactly who you want to draw conclusions about.

Several common research biases can arise if your survey is not generalizable,
particularly sampling bias and selection bias. The presence of these biases have serious
repercussions for the validity of your results.

Samples

It’s rarely possible to survey the entire population of your research – it would be very difficult to
get a response from every person in Brazil or every college student in the US. Instead, you will
usually survey a sample from the population.

The sample size depends on how big the population is. You can use an online sample
calculator to work out how many responses you need.

There are many sampling methods that allow you to generalize to broad populations. In general,
though, the sample should aim to be representative of the population as a whole. The larger and
more representative your sample, the more valid your conclusions. Again, beware of various
types of sampling bias as you design your sample, particularly self-selection bias, nonresponse
bias, undercoverage bias, and survivorship bias.

Step 2: Decide on the type of survey

There are two main types of survey:

 A questionnaire, where a list of questions is distributed by mail, online or in person, and

respondents fill it out themselves.
 An interview, where the researcher asks a set of questions by phone or in person and
records the responses.
Which type you choose depends on the sample size and location, as well as the focus of the
research.

Questionnaires

1. Mail
2. Online
3. In person

Sending out a paper survey by mail is a common method of gathering demographic information
(for example, in a government census of the population).

 You can easily access a large sample.

 You have some control over who is included in the sample (e.g. residents of a specific
region).
 The response rate is often low, and at risk for biases like self-selection bias.

Interviews

Oral interviews are a useful method for smaller sample sizes. They allow you to gather more in-
depth information on people’s opinions and preferences. You can conduct interviews by phone
or in person.

 You have personal contact with respondents, so you know exactly who will be included
in the sample in advance.
 You can clarify questions and ask for follow-up information when necessary.
 The lack of anonymity may cause respondents to answer less honestly, and there is more
risk of researcher bias.

Like questionnaires, interviews can be used to collect quantitative data: the researcher records
each response as a category or rating and statistically analyzes the results. But they are more
commonly used to collect qualitative data: the interviewees’ full responses are transcribed and
analyzed individually to gain a richer understanding of their opinions and feelings.
Step 3: Design the survey questions

Next, you need to decide which questions you will ask and how you will ask them. It’s important
to consider:

 The type of questions

 The content of the questions
 The phrasing of the questions
 The ordering and layout of the survey

Open-ended vs closed-ended questions

There are two main forms of survey questions: open-ended and closed-ended. Many surveys use
a combination of both.

Closed-ended questions give the respondent a predetermined set of answers to choose from. A
closed-ended question can include:

 A binary answer (e.g. yes/no or agree/disagree)

 A scale (e.g. a Likert scale with five points ranging from strongly agree to strongly
disagree)
 A list of options with a single answer possible (e.g. age categories)
 A list of options with multiple answers possible (e.g. leisure interests)

Closed-ended questions are best for quantitative research. They provide you with numerical data
that can be statistically analyzed to find patterns, trends, and correlations.

Open-ended questions are best for qualitative research. This type of question has no
predetermined answers to choose from. Instead, the respondent answers in their own words.

Open questions are most common in interviews, but you can also use them in questionnaires.
They are often useful as follow-up questions to ask for more detailed explanations of responses
to the closed questions.
The content of the survey questions

To ensure the validity and reliability of your results, you need to carefully consider each question
in the survey. All questions should be narrowly focused with enough context for the respondent
to answer accurately. Avoid questions that are not directly relevant to the survey’s purpose.

When constructing closed-ended questions, ensure that the options cover all possibilities. If you
include a list of options that isn’t exhaustive, you can add an “other” field.

Phrasing the survey questions

In terms of language, the survey questions should be as clear and precise as possible. Tailor the
questions to your target population, keeping in mind their level of knowledge of the topic. Avoid
jargon or industry-specific terminology.

Survey questions are at risk for biases like social desirability bias, the Hawthorne effect,
or demand characteristics. It’s critical to use language that respondents will easily understand,
and avoid words with vague or ambiguous meanings. Make sure your questions are phrased
neutrally, with no indication that you’d prefer a particular answer or emotion.

Ordering the survey questions

The questions should be arranged in a logical order. Start with easy, non-sensitive, closed-ended
questions that will encourage the respondent to continue.

If the survey covers several different topics or themes, group together related questions. You can
divide a questionnaire into sections to help respondents understand what is being asked in each
part.

If a question refers back to or depends on the answer to a previous question, they should be
placed directly next to one another.
Step 4: Distribute the survey and collect responses

Before you start, create a clear plan for where, when, how, and with whom you will conduct the
survey. Determine in advance how many responses you require and how you will gain access to
the sample.

When you are satisfied that you have created a strong research design suitable for answering
your research questions, you can conduct the survey through your method of choice – by mail,
online, or in person.

Step 5: Analyze the survey results

There are many methods of analyzing the results of your survey. First you have to process the
data, usually with the help of a computer program to sort all the responses. You should also clean
the data by removing incomplete or incorrectly completed responses.

If you asked open-ended questions, you will have to code the responses by assigning labels to
each response and organizing them into categories or themes. You can also use more qualitative
methods, such as thematic analysis, which is especially suitable for analyzing interviews.

Statistical analysis is usually conducted using programs like SPSS or Stata. The same set of
survey data can be subject to many analyses.

Step 6: Write up the survey results

Finally, when you have collected and analyzed all the necessary data, you will write it up as part
of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper.

In the methodology section, you describe exactly how you conducted the survey. You should
explain the types of questions you used, the sampling method, when and where the survey took
place, and the response rate. You can include the full questionnaire as an appendix and refer to it
in the text if relevant.

Then introduce the analysis by describing how you prepared the data and the statistical methods
you used to analyze it. In the results section, you summarize the key results from your analysis.
In the discussion and conclusion, you give your explanations and interpretations of these results,
answer your research question, and reflect on the implications and limitations of the research.