Doctoral Dissertation Research: Clarifying Survey Questions

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

Although comprehension is well recognized as a critical component of the survey question response process, much about it remains unknown. Past research has shown that ambiguous or vague concepts can be clarified through the use of definitions, instructions, or examples, but respondents do not necessarily attend to these clarifications. The aim of this doctoral dissertation research project is to investigate where and how to present clarifying information so that respondents will recognize it as essential to their answering survey questions correctly. A key issue is whether sensory channels (aural versus visual) make different demands on comprehension. The answer to this question is largely unknown, because sensory channel is often confounded with the presence of an interviewer in so many of the relevant studies. This project will help to establish whether respondents anticipate the end of a question and are more likely to interrupt clarifying information that is placed after a question than before and whether this harms survey estimates. It will help to confirm whether incorporating the clarifications into the questions and asking a series of simpler questions, as suggested by many researchers, is even more effective. Finally, understanding will be gained regarding whether respondents are better at comprehending complex clarifications in the visual channel than the aural, and whether channel interacts with the method of clarification. The goal of this project, to gain a better understanding of how to reduce ambiguity and vagueness in survey questions across survey modes, is especially relevant given the current debate over how to design questions for mixed-mode surveys. This project has the potential to lead to more accurate survey estimates, to better descriptions of the nation based on survey data, and to better decision-making policies. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, support is provided to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career. The project is supported by the Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics Program and a consortium of federal statistical agencies as part of a joint activity to support research on survey and statistical methodology.