SURVEY METHOD

INTRODUCTION

 A survey is a data collection tool used to gather information about individuals.

Surveys are commonly used in psychology research to collect self-report data
from study participants.
 It may focus on factual information about individuals, or it might aim to obtain
the opinions of the survey takers.
 They are one of the most commonly used research tools and can be utilized to
collect data and describe naturally occurring phenomena that exist in the real-
world.
 A single survey is made of a sample, a method of data collection (e.g., a
questionnaire) and individual questions or items that become data that can be
analyzed statistically.
 It may focus on different types of topics such as preferences, opinions,
behavior, or factual information, depending on its purpose.
 Since survey research is almost always based on a sample of the population,
the success of the research is dependent on the representativeness of the
sample with respect to a target population of interest to the researcher.
 That target population can range from the general population of a given
country to specific groups of people within that country, to a membership list
of a professional organization, or list of students enrolled in a school system.
 A survey can be administered in a couple of different ways
 In one method known as a structured interview, the researcher asks each
participant the questions
 In the other method, known as a questionnaire, the participant fills out the survey
on his or her own
 Surveys are generally standardized to ensure that they have reliability and
validity, if designed accuralty.
 Standardization is also important so that the results can be generalized to the
larger population
 One of the big advantages of using surveys in psychological research is that
they allow researchers to gather a large quantity of data relatively quickly and
cheaply
 A survey can be administered as a structured interview or as a self-report
measure and data can be collected in person, over the phone, or on a computer
 Experts suggest that return rates of 85 percent or higher are considered
excellent, but anything below 60 percent might have a serious impact on the
representativeness of the sample
 There are two main types of surveys i.e. cross sectional and longitudinal
 There is a distinction between one-time (cross-sectional) surveys, which involve
a single questionnaire or interview administered to each sample member, and
surveys which repeatedly collect information from the same people over time.
The latter are known as longitudinal survey
 Longitudinal surveys have considerable analytical advantages but they are also
challenging to implement successfully
 Consequently, specialist methods have been developed to select longitudinal
samples, to collect data repeatedly, to keep track of sample members over time,
to keep respondents motivated to participate, and to process and analyze
longitudinal survey data

TYPES OF SURVEY
 Both the cross-sectional and the longitudinal studies are observational studies (
without conducting an experiment simply taking views of person)
 This means that researchers record information about their subjects without
manipulating the study environment
 The defining feature of a cross-sectional study is that it can compare different
population groups at a single point in time
 Think of it in terms of taking a snapshot.

CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY
 The benefit of a cross-sectional study design is that it allows researchers to
compare many different variables at the same time
 We could, for example, look at age, gender, income and educational level in
relation to walking and cholesterol levels, with little or no additional cost
 However, cross-sectional studies may not provide definite information about
cause-and-effect relationships
 This is because such studies offer a snapshot of a single moment in time; they
do not consider what happens before or after the snapshot is taken
 For example, researchers studying developmental psychology might select
groups of people who are remarkably similar in most areas, but differ only in
age
 By doing this, any differences between groups can presumably be attributed to
age differences rather than to other variables
 This type of research can be used to describe characteristics that exist in a
community, but not to determine cause-and-effect relationships between
different variables
 These methods are often used to make inferences about possible relationships
or to gather preliminary data to support further research and experimentation
 A longitudinal study, like a cross-sectional one, is observational
 So, once again, researchers do not interfere with their subjects
 However, in a longitudinal study, researchers conduct several observations of
the same subjects over a period of time, sometimes lasting many years better
predict
 The benefit of a longitudinal study is that researchers are able to detect
developments or changes in the characteristics of the target population at both
the group and the individual level

LONGITUDINAL SURVEY
 The key here is that longitudinal studies extend beyond a single moment in
time
 As a result, they can establish sequences of events
 A longitudinal study is more likely to suggest cause-and-effect relationships
than a cross-sectional study by virtue of its scope
 In general, the research should drive the design
 But sometimes, the progression of the research helps determine which design
is most appropriate
 Cross-sectional studies can be done more quickly than longitudinal studies
 That’s why researchers might start with a cross-sectional study to first
establish whether there are links or associations between certain variables.
Then they would set up a longitudinal study to study cause and effect
 One example of this progression can be found in an Institute for Work &
Health (IWH) project on the links between computer work and
musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at a large newspaper
 This project began with a cross-sectional study, aimed at exploring the links
between injuries and different characteristics of the job (e.g. work stress) or of
the worker (e.g. the social support he or she had at work)
 Knowing which links were strongest helped the researchers develop theories
to test. In the next study, a longitudinal one, they studied changes in workers’
MSD symptoms over time
 That study gave the researchers a better understanding of the cause-and-effect
relationship between MSD symptoms and work/worker characteristics, which
in turn lay the groundwork for intervention studies down the line
 Some of the most common ways to administer survey include:
 Mail
 Telephone
 Internet surveys
 At home interviews/ face to face interviews

WAYS OF SURVEY DATA COLLECTION

 Following steps are involved in survey:
1. Identification of the research problem
The first step in the survey method like any other research method is the
identification of the research problem. The aim of the investigation or the area
which the researcher wants to work in is important to be identified first.

STEPS INVOLVED IN THE SURVEY

PROCESS
2. Sampling/ Target population
Based on the nature of the study it is necessary to identify the target population which
is going to be approached. It is also important to specify the methods going to be
utilized to selecting the sample form the population,
3. Designing the method
The means by which data is going to be collected (how the respondents are going to be
approached).
4. Selecting/ Composing the instrument
In the next step, the data is collected from the sample by using different techniques.
Surveys usually involve the administration of questionnaires or self-report inventories
or interviews (structured or unstructured).
5. Analyzing the data
After the collection of data, the next step is of compiling and analyzing the
data by using statistical methods. The data gathered are compiled by using
different software and programs and then different statistical analyses
appropriate for the nature of the research are used.
6. Interpreting the data
The next step is the interpretation of the research findings. The results obtained by
using the statistical methods are interpreted to draw a meaningful conclusion.
7. Reporting the research findings
The research findings are then reported in a language which is understandable as everyone
cannot understand statistical figures and draw inferences. The language should be
simple and understandable by a lay person.
 Advantages Disadvantages
 Surveys allow researchers to collect a large  Poor survey construction and
amount of data in a relatively short period administration can undermine otherwise
 well-designed studies
Surveys are less expensive than many other
data collection techniques  The answer choices provided on a survey
 may not be an accurate reflection of how
Surveys can be created quickly and
the participants actually feel
administered easily
 While random sampling is generally used
 Surveys can be used to collect information
to select participants, response rates can
on a broad range of things, including
bias the results of a survey
personal facts, attitudes, past behaviors and
opinions  The social desirability bias can lead people
to respond in a way that makes them look
better than they really are. For example, a
respondent might report that they engage
in more healthy behaviors than they do in
real life
1. Pervez, Saima (2014)
Prevalence and Psychological Correlates of Social Anxiety disorder Among
University Students in Peshawar.
PhD thesis, University of Peshawar, Peshawar.
2. Malik, Samia Nawaz (2013)
Parental And Peer Influence On Career Decision Making Self Efficacy Of Yo
uth And Its Relationship With Their Identity Development.
PhD thesis, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

PAKISTANI RESEARCHES USING THE

SURVEY METHOD
3. Mamoona , Ismail Loona (2013)
Psychosocial Functioning Of Children With Disruptive Behaviour Disorders.
PhD thesis, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
4. Malik, Sadia (2013)
Relationship Between Workplace Harassment And Posttraumatic Stress Sym
ptoms Among Pakistani Female Healthcare Professionals.
PhD thesis, University of the Punjab, Lahore.
5. Niaz , Ahmad (2012)
Academic Achievement And Its Relationship With Social Anxiety And Self Est
eem In Male And Female School Students.
PhD thesis, University of the Punjab, Lahore.