questionnaire construction Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is a questionnaire in psychological research?
A written method of data collection where participants respond to a series of pre-set questions. Can be used to gather quantitative or qualitative data.
What is meant by questionnaire design?
The process of writing clear, unbiased, and effective questions and response formats to ensure valid and reliable data collection.
What are open questions in questionnaires?
Allow for qualitative data.
Participants can answer in their own words.
Useful for gaining insight and depth.
Strengths and weaknesses of open questions?
✔ Rich, detailed data.
✔ May reveal unexpected findings.
✘ Harder to analyse/statistically compare.
✘ May be difficult to interpret or code.
What are closed questions in questionnaires?
Offer pre-set responses (e.g., yes/no, multiple choice, Likert scales).
Produce quantitative data that’s easy to analyse.
Strengths and weaknesses of closed questions?
✔ Easy to quantify and compare.
✔ Useful for large samples.
✘ May lack depth.
✘ Risk of response bias or restricting true answers.
What are Likert scales and rating scales?
Likert scale: measures degree of agreement with a statement (e.g., Strongly agree – Strongly disagree).
Rating scale: asks participants to rate something on a scale (e.g., 1 to 10).
What are the key features of a well-constructed questionnaire?
✔ Clear and unambiguous wording.
✔ No leading questions.
✔ Balanced closed questions with a neutral option.
✔ Logical flow and clear instructions.
✔ Appropriate for the target population.
What is a leading question?
A question that implies a particular answer or biases the response.
E.g., “Don’t you think this new law is unfair?”
How can social desirability bias affect questionnaire data?
Participants may answer in a way they believe is socially acceptable rather than truthful, especially for sensitive topics (e.g., drug use, prejudice).
What is response bias in questionnaires?
When participants answer without thinking (e.g., always choosing “yes” or ticking the middle option).
Reduces the validity of the data.
How can researchers reduce response bias?
✔ Reverse-word some items.
✔ Keep the questionnaire engaging and varied.
✔ Include attention-check questions.
How can reliability be ensured in questionnaires?
✔ Use standardised questions and instructions.
✔ Use test–retest reliability: give the same questionnaire to the same group at two different times.
✔ High correlation = good reliability.
How can validity be ensured in questionnaires?
✔ Use face validity (appears to measure what it claims).
✔ Use concurrent validity (compare to established measure).
✔ Avoid leading, ambiguous or emotionally loaded questions
