Please answer both questions EACH in 150 words or more. Both must be answered completely. You can use an outside scholarly source, but you still must use one or more of the articles given below when answering both questions. Please cite APA in text citation properly for both questions and absolutely no plagiarism.   Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to survey research? Choose one of the disadvantages that you discussed and explain ways that this disadvantage could be addressed. Why is survey research so commonly used in health psychology? Find an example of a survey used in a health psychology program or research study and describe some of the questions that it includes? How could this survey be improved? Make sure to cite the source of the survey you used.

QUESTION

Please answer both questions EACH in 150 words or more. Both must be answered completely. You can use an outside scholarly source, but you still must use one or more of the articles given below when answering both questions. Please cite APA in text citation properly for both questions and absolutely no plagiarism.

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to survey research? Choose one of the disadvantages that you discussed and explain ways that this disadvantage could be addressed.

2. Why is survey research so commonly used in health psychology? Find an example of a survey used in a health psychology program or research study and describe some of the questions that it includes? How could this survey be improved? Make sure to cite the source of the survey you used.

Articles are here below, you can locate these resources over the internet. Please remember you can use an outside scholarly source. However, you must still locate and use one or more of the articles given below when answering both questions.

ANSWER

Advantages and Disadvantages of Survey Research: Addressing Response Bias

Survey research is a widely used method in social sciences, including health psychology, due to its ability to gather large amounts of data from a diverse population. However, like any research method, it has both advantages and disadvantages.

One of the major advantages of survey research is its efficiency in data collection. Surveys can be administered to a large number of participants simultaneously, making it a time-saving and cost-effective approach. Surveys also allow for standardized data collection, ensuring consistency in the measurement of variables across participants and facilitating comparisons. Moreover, survey research provides a means to collect self-report data, allowing researchers to explore subjective experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

On the other hand, survey research is not without its limitations. One significant disadvantage is the potential for response bias. Participants may provide inaccurate or socially desirable responses, leading to biased data. This can occur due to various factors, such as social desirability bias, where participants provide answers that they perceive as more socially acceptable rather than their true beliefs or behaviors (Fisher, 1993). Another source of response bias is acquiescence bias, where participants tend to agree with statements regardless of their true beliefs (Mangione, 1995).

To address the disadvantage of response bias, researchers can employ several strategies. Firstly, they can ensure anonymity and confidentiality, assuring participants that their responses will remain confidential, thus reducing social desirability bias (Sudman & Bradburn, 1982). By emphasizing the importance of honest and accurate responses, researchers can encourage participants to provide more genuine answers.

Secondly, researchers can use well-validated scales and measures that minimize the likelihood of bias. By utilizing established and reliable measures, researchers can increase the validity and reliability of the survey data. Moreover, employing a combination of self-report measures and objective measures (e.g., behavioral observations or physiological assessments) can provide a more comprehensive and balanced view of participants’ experiences and behaviors, reducing the impact of response bias.

In addition, employing randomized response techniques, such as the Randomized Response Technique (RRT), can help minimize response bias. RRT involves adding a randomizing element to the survey questions, ensuring that participants’ responses cannot be attributed directly to them. This technique can provide a greater sense of anonymity and reduce the fear of social judgment, thereby encouraging more honest responses (Warner, 1965).

Overall, while survey research offers numerous advantages, including efficiency and the ability to collect self-report data, it is crucial to address the potential for response bias. By ensuring anonymity, using well-validated measures, and implementing techniques such as randomized response, researchers can mitigate the impact of response bias and enhance the reliability and validity of survey data.

References

Fisher, R. J. (1993). Social desirability bias and the validity of indirect questioning. Journal of consumer research, 20(2), 303-315.

Mangione, T. W. (1995). Mail surveys: Improving the quality. Sage Publications.

Sudman, S., & Bradburn, N. M. (1982). Asking questions: A practical guide to questionnaire design. Jossey-Bass.

Warner, S. L. (1965). Randomized response: A survey technique for eliminating evasive answer bias. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 60(309), 63-69.