Discuss the survey method, including when it is used, how it is conducted, its advantages and limitations, and the increasing use of Internet surveys

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer will include that when psychologists want the opinion of a large group of people, they choose to use the survey method. Since it would be impossible to question everyone in the population regarding a particular topic, a representative sample is selected from this larger population and is asked a series of carefully worded questions. A representative sample is a small group that accurately reflects the larger population. A good sample must include the same proportion of men, women, young, old, professionals, blue-collar workers, Republicans, Democrats, whites, African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, Asians, and so on as found in the population as a whole. Ultimately, the researchers are interested in entire populations; but by selecting a smaller sample, they can draw conclusions about the larger group without polling each and every person. Representative samples are often obtained by randomly selecting who will be included. Modern surveys like the Gallup and Harris polls can be quite accurate. However, if a survey is based on a biased sample, it may paint a false picture. A biased sample does not accurately reflect the population from which it was drawn. Surveys done by magazines, websites, and online information services can be quite biased. That's why psychologists using the survey method go to great lengths to ensure that their samples are representative. Fortunately, people can often be polled by telephone or the Internet, which makes it easier to obtain large samples. Even if one person out of three refuses to answer survey questions, the results are still likely to be valid. Web-based research can also be a cost-effective way to reach very large groups of people, especially people who are not easy to survey any other way. Internet studies have provided interesting information about topics such as anger, decision-making, racial prejudice, what disgusts people, religion, sexual attitudes, and much more. However, biased samples can limit web-based research because it isn't easy to control who actually answers your online questionnaire, but psychologists are getting better at gathering valid information with it. Even well-designed surveys may be limited by another problem. Replies to survey questions may not always accurate or truthful because many people show a distinct courtesy bias, which is a tendency to give "polite" or socially desirable answers. For example, answers to questions concerning sex, drinking or drug use, income, and church attendance tend to be less than truthful. Likewise, the week after an election, more people will say they voted than actually did. Despite their limitations, surveys frequently produce valuable information.