EXERCISES AND PROJECTS

Identify the error or potential source of bias in the following questions and statements.

1. "Do you agree or disagree with the statement by Pope Francis that governments should spend more money on programs to aid the poor?"
2. "Most of the candidates who are running for president are egocentric." Check one answer: ( ) strongly agree ( ) agree ( ) disagree ( ) strongly disagree
3. "Do you approve or disapprove of recent Supreme Court rulings that suppress the right of children to pray in public schools?"
4. "Do you feel that government workers are corrupt and are paid too much?"
5. "Do you approve or disapprove of the current federal regulations for the disposal of nuclear waste?"
6. "About how many times a day do you think about sex?"
7. "The President is doing a poor job of running the government because he has incompetent advisors." Check whether you: ( ) strongly agree ( ) agree ( ) disagree ( ) strongly disagree

For each of the following topics, construct two factual questions and two opinion/attitude questions. Assume that your respondents are college students.

1. Television viewing preferences

   Factual 1:

   Factual 2:

   Opinion 1:

   Opinion 2:

2. The role of athletics in higher education

   Factual 1:

   Factual 2:

   Opinion 1:

   Opinion 2:

3. Political attitudes and behavior

   Factual 1:

   Factual 2:

   Opinion 1:

   Opinion 2

This is an exercise in writing contingency questions using the "GO TO QUESTION 3" format illustrated in the text. From the respondents, who all work for a certain company, you want to learn how they travel to work: whether they drive alone, car-pool, take public transportation, or "other." For respondents who do not car-pool, you want to know whether they have ever car-pooled to work. If respondents have ever car-pooled to work, or if they are currently car-pooling, find out what they believe are the advantages of car-pooling over driving alone. For respondents who have not car-pooled in the past and are not currently car-pooling, find out what disadvantages they see in car-pooling. Construct a set of contingency questions to elicit this information.

Develop a questionnaire for distribution to students on your campus that includes the following elements. In constructing your questionnaire items, be sure to abide by the guidelines for questionnaire construction discussed in Chapter 11 of the text.

1. Six factual questions
2. Four closed-ended and two open-ended questions on issues of campus life
3. Four to six matrix questions dealing with a current national social or political issue
4. Three questions illustrating the use of the semantic differential