Survey Research

1. Survey Research 1. To understand the terms survey, sample survey, and respondent 2. To understand the advantages of using surveys 3. To recognize that few surveys are error-free 4. To distinguish between random sampling error and systematic error 5. To classify the various types of systematic error and give examples of each type 6. To discuss how response error may be an unconscious misrepresentation or a deliberate falsification 7. To distinguish between cross-sectional and longitudinal studies 8. To classify surveys according to method of communication, according to the degree of structure and disguise in questionnaires, and on a temporal basis

2. The Nature of Surveys • Respondent • The person who verbally answers an interviewer’s questions or provides answers to written questions • Sample survey • A more formal term for a survey • Survey • A method of collecting primary data in which information is gathered by communicating with a representative sample of people

3. The Nature of Surveys (cont’d) • Survey Objectives: Type of Information Gathered • The type of information gathered in a survey varies considerably depending on its objectives • Typically, surveys attempt to describe what is happening or to learn the reasons for a particular marketing activity • Surveys can be both quantitative and qualitative • Survey research is descriptive research

4. The Nature of Surveys (cont’d) • Advantages of Surveys • Reliable • Generalizable • Efficient • Higher Accuracy • Flexible

5. Errors in Survey Research

6. Errors in Survey Research (cont’d) • Random Sampling Error • A statistical fluctuation that occurs because of chance variation in the elements selected for a sample • Systematic Error • Error resulting from some imperfect aspect of the research design that causes respondent error or from a mistake in the execution of the research • Sample Bias • A persistent tendency for the results of a sample to deviate in one direction from the true value of the population parameter

7. Respondent Error • Respondent Error • A category of sample bias resulting from some respondent action or inaction such as non response or response bias • Non response Error • The statistical differences between a survey that includes only those who responded and a perfect survey that would also include those who failed to respond

8. Respondent Error (cont’d) • Nonresponse Error (cont’d) • Nonrespondent • A person who is not contacted or who refuses to cooperate in the research • No contact • A person who is not at home or who is otherwise inaccessible on the first and second contact • Refusal • A person who is unwilling to participate in a research project • Self-selection bias • A bias that occurs because people who feel strongly about a subject are more likely to respond to survey questions than people who feel indifferent about it

9. Respondent Error (cont’d) • Response Bias • A bias that occurs when respondents either consciously or unconsciously tend to answer questions with a certain slant that misrepresents the truth • Deliberate falsification • Unconscious misrepresentation

10. Respondent Error (cont’d) • Response Bias (cont’d) • Types of response bias • Acquiescence bias: A category of response bias that results because some individuals tend to agree with all questions or to concur with a particular position • Extremity bias: A category of response bias that results because some individuals tend to use extremes when responding to questions • Interviewer bias: A response bias that occurs because the presence of the interviewer influences respondents’ answers • Auspices bias:Bias in the responses of subjects caused by their being influenced by the organization conducting the study

11. Respondent Error (cont’d) • Response Bias (cont’d) • Types of response bias (cont’d) • Social desirability bias: Bias in responses caused by respondents’ desire, either conscious or unconscious, to gain prestige or appear in a different social role

12. Administrative Error • Administrative Error • An error caused by the improper administration or execution of the research task • Data Processing Error • A category of administrative error that occurs because of incorrect data entry, incorrect computer programming, or other procedural errors during data analysis

13. Administrative Error (cont’d) • Sample Selection Error • An administrative error caused by improper sample design or sampling procedure execution • Interviewer Error • Mistakes made by interviewers failing to record survey responses correctly • Interviewer Cheating • The practice of filling in fake answers or falsifying questionnaires while working as an interviewer

14. Classifying Survey Research Methods • Structured and Disguised Questions • Structured question • A question that imposes a limit on the number of allowable responses • Unstructured question • A question that does not restrict the respondents’ answers • Undisguised question • A straightforward question that assumes the respondent is willing to answer • Disguised question • An indirect question that assumes the purpose of the study must be hidden from the respondent

15. Classifying Survey Research Methods (cont’d) • Temporal Classification • Cross-sectional study • A study in which various segments of a population are sampled and data are collected at a single moment in time • Longitudinal study A survey of respondents at different times, thus allowing analysis of response continuity and changes over time • Tracking study: A survey of respondents at different times, thus allowing analysis of response continuity and changes over time • Consumer panel:A longitudinal survey of the same sample of individuals or households to record their attitudes, behaviour, or purchasing habits over time