SURVEY

DESIGN &
PREDICTIVE
DESIGNS
MARGARET LAMAR, PH.D.
 SURVEY RESEARCH
What is survey research?

Why use survey research?

TYPES OF SURVEY
DESIGNS
Longitudinal
•  Trend Studies
•  Cohort Studies
•  Panel Studies
Cross-sectional
DATA COLLECTION
Questionnaires
•  Mailed
•  Electronic
Interviews
•  One-on-one
•  Focus Group
•  Telephone
CONDUCTING SURVEY
RESEARCH
Step 1: Decide what you want to learn
Step 2: Determine your population & sampling approach
Step 3: Determine methodology and data collection approach
Step 4: Develop a questionnaire or find existing one
Step 5: Pilot test questionnaire
Step 6: Administer questionnaire
Step 7: Analyze data
Step 8: Write report
INSTRUMENT
DEVELOPMENT: PART 1
Identify the primary purpose
Identify behaviors/define the domain
Prepare table of specifications
Construct initial pool of items
Have items reviewed (and revise when appropriate)

(Crocker & Algina, 2008)

LIKERT SCALE ITEMS
Put statements/questions in present tense
Do not use factual statements
Avoid statements with multiple interpretations
Avoid items likely to be endorsed by everyone
Use equal number of statements with positive and negative
feelings
Avoid universal language (e.g., all, always, none, never)
Use simple sentences, not compound (and keep ‘em short!)

(Crocker & Algina, 2008)

OTHER SURVEY
CONSIDERATIONS
Response rate
•  Maximize – Why? How?

Cover letters

Limitations of survey research

SURVEY RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
Language: explore, understand, etc
EVALUATING SURVEY
RESEARCH
Limitations?
Predictive Research Designs
What’s the difference between experimental and predictive
designs

What’s the difference between DIRECTION of the relationship

and DEGREE of the relationship?
RELATIONSHIPS
 WHAT IS THE DIRECTION
AND STRENGTH OF THE
FOLLOWING
CORRELATIONS?
.10
.99
-.76
.50
-.09
-.43
SPURIOUS
CORRELATIONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-g0ovHjQxs
PREDICTIVE MODELS
Bivariate (2 variables)
Multivariate (more than 2 variables)
Multiple regression (Find the most important group of
variables to make a prediction)
Factor Analysis (how do independent variables relate to the
dependent variable and with each other?)
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
& HYPOTHESES
•  Should include relationship language (not causal)
•  Degree to which 2 or more variables are related to each
other
•  Avoid yes or no questions, if possible
•  Ensure that each question is just asking 1 question
•  Include multiple questions to capture multiple ideas
•  Exploratory – may not need a hypotheses
•  Confirmatory – need a hypotheses
•  1 hypothesis per question
•  Be as specific as possible
RQ1: As the number of hours a student spending studying
increases, does the earned grade point average increase?
•  H1: There is no relationship
•  Ha: As the time spent studying increases, GPA increases

RQ2: Are self care practices associated with posttraumatic

growth for counselors responding to hurricane victims
during deployment?
•  H1: There is no relationship
•  Ha: There will be a positive relationship between practice of
self care and posttraumatic growth for counselors deployed to
help hurricane victims
EVALUATING
PREDICTIVE RESEARCH
Limitations?