Assignment: Survey Designs
You may work in pairs for this exercise, or alone if you prefer. Bring an extra copy of the survey instrument to class because we will break into pairs to critique each others' questions.You have been commissioned to conduct a survey of UHart students' attitudes toward capital punishment (i.e., the death penalty) and euthanasia (e.g., physician-assisted suicide). Construct a survey containing 15-20 close-ended questions that will assess both attitudes toward these topics (dependent variables) AND the factors (i.e., independent variables) that you feel might affect (i.e., cause) students' attitudes regarding these issues. At least some of the questions must measure the same concept; for instance, you may ask five different questions that all measure attitudes toward capital punishment.
Make sure you provide clear instructions on the survey and follow the principles of questionnaire construction discussed in class and in the book.
After constructing your survey, address the following questions on a separate report:
(1) Identify the population, sampling frame (describe what list you would use to choose the individuals for your sample), and sampling design (e.g., simple random) that would be most appropriate for this study and explain why.
(2) What response format(s) did you use for your questions and why (justify your choices)?
(3) In the case of multiple questions that measure the same concept, describe exactly how you would combine responses (e.g., sum, average, weight, reverse code) to those questions to form a composite index.
a. What would be the most appropriate method for assessing the reliability and validity of the composite measure?
(4) What would be the most appropriate method for administering the survey and why? How might you maximize the response rate from your sample?
(5) Based on this research design, what might you expect to be able to conclude regarding the cause(s) of students' attitudes toward capital punishment and euthanasia? (Hint: Think about the principles of causality).
Attachment:- threats to internal validity.rar