EXERCISES AND PROJECTS

The purpose of this project, which can be done either individually or in a group, is to give you some practical experience in the application of the three survey research methods: mail questionnaires, personal interviews, and telephone interviews.

A simple survey instrument is provided, designed to measure the attitudes of college students toward cheating. Make 20 copies of this survey (more if you or your professor's department can afford it) and obtain responses from 10 students using personal interviews and from 10 other students using telephone interviews. (Note that the survey is designed such that the words you are to say during the interview are in capital letters). Next, obtain responses from an additional 10 students by means of mail questionnaires. Some modification of the survey instrument will be required to make it suitable for mailing. To avoid additional cost, it is recommended that you use campus mail.

When the responses have been collected, evaluate each of the survey research methods in terms of the following criteria.

Response rate

Control over interview situation

Speed in obtaining responses

Eliciting truthful responses

In the following space, indicate any particular problems you encountered in the application of the three survey methods. For example, did telephoning result in any "broken off" interviews? During personal interviews, how much trouble did you have establishing rapport with respondents? Did respondents appear to be evasive or reluctant to respond?

Survey Attitudes Toward Cheating (sample instrument)

HELLO, MY NAME IS ________ AND I'M CONDUCTING A SHORT SURVEY FOR MY RESEARCH METHODS COURSE ON THE ATTITUDES OF COLLEGE STUDENTS TOWARD CHEATING. COULD I ASK YOU JUST A FEW QUESTIONS ON THE SUBJECT? IT WILL TAKE ONLY A MINUTE OR TWO.

1. WHAT IS YOUR CLASS RANK? ( ) freshman
   ( ) sophomore
   ( ) junior
   ( ) senior
   NOW, I'M GOING TO READ YOU SOME STATEMENTS, AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TELL ME WHETHER YOU STRONGLY AGREE, MILDLY AGREE, MILDLY DISAGREE, OR STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH EACH STATEMENT.

   Circle one:
2. WITH SO MUCH PRESSURE ON COLLEGE STUDENTS TO GET GOOD GRADES, CHEATING IS INEVITABLE.
   SA MA MD SD
3. TO GET AHEAD IN COLLEGE, OR IN LIFE IN GENERAL, YOU SOMETIMES HAVE TO DO THINGS THAT AREN'T VERY HONEST.
   SA MA MD SD
4. THE PERSON WHO SEES SOMEONE CHEAT BUT DOES NOT TURN THAT PERSON IN IS JUST AS DISHONEST AS THE CHEATER.
   SA MA MD SD
5. SUPPOSE YOU SAW SOMEONE CHEAT ON A TEST IN ONE OF YOUR CLASSES. HOW LIKELY WOULD IT BE THAT YOU WOULD TURN THAT PERSON IN TO YOUR PROFESSOR?
   
   Check one: ( ) very likely
   ( ) somewhat likely
   ( ) somewhat unlikely
   ( ) very unlikely
   
6. SUPPOSE YOU AND YOUR BEST FRIEND ARE TAKING A COURSE WHICH YOUR FRIEND WILL FAIL IF HE OR SHE DOES NOT PASS THE FINAL EXAM. HOW LIKELY WOULD IT BE THAT YOU LET YOUR FRIEND COPY ANSWERS FROM YOUR EXAM?
   Check one: ( ) very likely
   ( ) somewhat likely
   ( ) somewhat unlikely
   ( ) very unlikely
   
7. HAVE YOU EVER CHEATED IN COLLEGE?
   ( ) yes ( ) no THAT COMPLETES THE SURVEY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
   

Locate at least two articles in social science journals that report survey results based on the use of mail questionnaires. (Public Opinion Quarterly would be a good source.) For each of the articles, provide complete bibliographic information and answer the following:

1. What was the topic or focus of the study?
2. What was the return rate?
3. What was the population that was sampled?
4. What was the length of the questionnaire?
5. How complex were the questions?
6. What kinds of return mail provisions were employed?
7. What methods, if any, were used to increase the initial return rate?