SURVEYS
In contrast with the in-depth study of one person, surveys describe a specific population or group of people. Surveys involve asking people a series of questions about their behaviors, thoughts, or opinions. Surveys can be conducted in person, over the phone, or through the mail. Most surveys study a specific group–for example,
college students, working mothers, men, or homeowners. Rather than questioning every person in the group, survey researchers choose a representative sample of people and generalize the findings to the larger population.
Surveys may pertain to almost any topic. Often surveys ask people to report their feelings about various social and political issues, the TV shows they watch, or the consumer products they purchase. Surveys are also used to learn about people’s sexual practices; to estimate the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and other drugs; and to approximate the proportion of people who experience feelings of life satisfaction, loneliness, and other psychological states that cannot be directly observed.
Surveys must be carefully designed and conducted to ensure their accuracy. The results can be influenced, and biased, by two factors: who the respondents are and how the questions are asked. For a survey to be accurate, the sample being questioned must be representative of the population on key characteristics such as sex, race, age, region, and cultural background. To ensure similarity to the larger population, survey researchers usually try to make sure that they have a random sample, a method of selection in which everyone in the population has an equal chance of being chosen.
When the sample is not random, the results can be misleading. For example, prior to the 1936 United States presidential election, pollsters for the magazine Literary Digest mailed postcards to more than 10 million people who were listed in telephone directories or as registered owners of automobiles. The cards asked for whom they intended to vote. Based on the more than 2 million ballots that were returned, the Literary Digest predicted that Republican candidate Alfred M. Landon would win in a landslide over Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. At the time, however, more Republicans than Democrats owned telephones and automobiles, skewing the poll results. In the election, Landon won only two states.
The results of survey research can also be influenced by the way that questions are asked. For example, when asked about “welfare,” a majority of Americans in one survey said that the government spends too much money. But when asked about “assistance to the poor,” significantly fewer people gave this response.
5. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the survey?
2. What way can it be conducted in?
3. What phenomena is it possible to investigate using the method of surveys?
4. What is a random sample?
6. Are the following statements true or false?
1. Surveys study one person.
2. To be sure of the validity of the results the investigator must have a random sample.
3. The way the questions are asked doesn’t influence upon the results of surveys.
4. Race, age, region and cultural backgrounds of the respondents have a profound effect on the results.
7. Can you give your own example of using the survey method in psychology?
LESSON 12. DOES YOUR MEMORY SERVE YOU RIGHT? Brainstorming activity