Communication Research: Asking Questions, Finding Answers, 5e (Keyton)
Chapter 8 Surveys and Questionnaires
1) A socially desirable response is:
A) the answer the researcher is looking for.
B) the answer the participants wants to give, but feels uncomfortable sharing.
C) the answer the participant believes the interviewer or researcher is seeking.
D) a nonverbal rather than verbal response.
E) a verbal response coupled with a nonverbal response that indicates the participant is being
deceptive.
2) A good survey item is one that is:
A) reliable and valid.
B) straightforward.
C) vague or abstract.
D) a complex thought.
E) A and B.
3) An open question:
A) is the same as an essay question.
B) provides data from the respondent’s point of view.
C) provides data from the researcher’s point of view.
D) can create responses that are not comparable.
E) B and D.
4) Recall cues are used:
A) to direct participants’ attention back to the question.
B) to direct participants’ attention away from sensitive questions.
C) to direct participants’ attention to the issue in which the researcher is interested.
D) to capture numerical data.
E) more frequently with closed questions.
5) Closed questions are most effectively used when:
A) the question asks for sensitive information.
B) the potential responses are known in advance.
C) the researcher needs to include an abbreviation in the question.
D) the question asks about something that is relatively new or unique.
E) multiple responses are required for the participant to fully answer the question.
6) Researchers often include stimulus statements with questionnaires or survey. The purpose of the
stimulus statement is to:
A) direct participants’ attention to the type of questions they will be answering, as well as provide
general instructions in answering the question.
B) trick participants into believing that the questionnaire is addressing an issue other than its real
purpose.
C) warn participants that questions will address sensitive issues.
D) give clues to participants about the type of responses the researcher is seeking.
E) warn participants that the survey is a decoy for a sales call.
7) Likert-type scales:
A) are a common response set for closed questions.
B) assign numerical values to each response choice.
C) are interval level data.
D) can contain a neutral middle response.
E) all of the above.
8) A semantic differential scale:
A) is a type of open question.
B) is the same as a Likert-type response scale.
C) uses word anchors for each numerical responses.
D) uses a word anchor for the middle response.
E) is based on two bipolar adjectives.
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9) Internal reliability is the degree to which:
A) researchers select the same questionnaire for studying the same research topic.
B) participants like the questions asked on a survey.
C) multiple items are consistent in measuring a construct or subconstruct on a questionnaire or
survey.
D) all participants gave the same response to a questionnaire item.
E) none of the above.
Match the following terms and descriptions about question types:
A) Closed question
B) Open question
C) Semantic Differential scale
D) Likert-type scale
10) Often uses the responses of strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, strongly disagree
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11) Using this type of question in a written survey or questionnaire, leave more space than you
believe respondents will need
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12) Responses must be exhaustive, mutually exclusive, and equivalent
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13) Respondents indicate degree to which they agree or disagree with one of two anchors
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Match the following terms and descriptions of pretesting a survey or questionnaire:
A) Behavior coding pretesting
B) Expert panel pretesting
C) Conventional pretesting
D) Cognitive pretesting
14) Those familiar with research methodology or the content of the survey or questionnaire point
out potential problems
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15) Helps uncover questions which can be interpreted in multiple ways
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16) Individuals like the persons who will be selected for the research project complete the survey
or questionnaire just as participants will in the research project
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17) A third person monitors the researcher asking questions of the participant
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18) Asking open-ended questions are best used when the researcher wants each participant’s
unique view.
19) Surveys on the same topic written to achieve different objectives will be composed of the same
questions and response choices, and be subject to the same interpretations.
20) Regardless of the researcher’s level of experience, it is always wiser to develop a new and
unique questionnaire or scale rather than modifying or adapting existing questionnaires or scales.
21) It is okay to include some items in a questionnaire for which you are unsure that participants
will have adequate knowledge to respond. If this is the case, participants will know to ignore this
item and go on to the next.
22) The choices in a response set to closed questions should be exhaustive and mutually exclusive,
but do not need to be equivalent.
23) Likert-type scale response choices must be balanced at the ends of the response continuum.
24) All surveys and questionnaires should have explicit directions for participants, telling them
how and where to mark their responses.
25) Response rate is the same as sample size.
26) Describe why collecting data through questionnaires or surveys are common and popular in
communication research.
27) Explain how different forms of collecting survey data can affect participants’ likelihood to
participate.
28) Explain why modifying an existing scale or questionnaire requires that the researcher pilot test
it once modifications have been made.
29) Describe four characteristics of effective survey or questionnaire items.
30) Explain the statement, “All survey questions are asked within some social and cultural
context.”
31) Explain why researchers should build the request for specific information into an open
question. Give an example of such a question.
32) Develop both an open and closed question that asks participants to reveal the type of
communication situation they most fear.
33) Describe the potential problem when a Likert-type scale contains “no opinion” or “don’t know”
as the neutral middle response choice.
34) Describe the situations in which open questions are preferable to closed questions.
35) Describe the weakness in using only questionnaire or survey data to answer research questions
or hypotheses.