Chapter sixteen - Survey Research

Summary

This chapter reviews high points of survey methodology literature. It outlines more specifically why survey research may be valuable to social psychologists. The chapter explains the utility of various study designs. It also reviews several standard designs, including cross-sectional, repeated cross-sectional, panel and mixed designs, and discusses when each is appropriate for social psychological investigation. It describes the basics of survey sampling and questionnaire design. The chapter also explains a number of sampling methods and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. It further describes the optimal procedures for data collection. The survey research process culminates in the field period, during which the data are collected, and the careful execution of this final step is critical to success. The chapter provides considerations relevant to data collection mode (face-to-face, telephone, and self-administered) and interviewer selection, training, and supervision.