Designing Research » Questionnaires

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

What questionnaires are and their purpose in psychological research
Different types of questionnaires (structured, semi-structured, unstructured)
Question types (open and closed questions)
How to design effective questionnaires
Advantages and disadvantages of using questionnaires
Ethical considerations when using questionnaires
How to analyse questionnaire data

Introduction to Questionnaires in Psychology

Questionnaires are one of the most widely used research methods in psychology. They allow researchers to collect data from large numbers of people relatively quickly and easily. Whether you're investigating attitudes, behaviours, or opinions, questionnaires can be a valuable tool in your psychological research toolkit.

Key Definitions:

Questionnaire: A research tool consisting of a series of questions designed to gather information from respondents.
Respondent: A person who answers the questions in a questionnaire.
Response rate: The percentage of people who complete and return a questionnaire.

Types of Questionnaires

There are three main types of questionnaires used in psychological research:

📝 Structured Questionnaires

These contain fixed, closed questions with pre-set response options. They're easier to analyse but limit the depth of responses.

Example: "On a scale of 1-5, how happy are you with your school life?"

📖 Semi-structured Questionnaires

These include a mix of closed and open questions, offering some flexibility while still being relatively easy to analyse.

Example: Multiple-choice questions followed by "Please explain your answer..."

💬 Unstructured Questionnaires

These contain mainly open-ended questions that allow respondents to express their thoughts freely. They provide rich, detailed data but are more difficult to analyse.

Example: "How do you feel about the amount of homework you receive?"

Question Types

The questions you include in your questionnaire can be broadly categorised into two types:

🔑 Closed Questions

These provide respondents with a limited set of response options to choose from.

Types include:

Multiple choice: "Which of the following best describes your mood today? a) Happy b) Sad c) Neutral d) Anxious"
Rating scales: "On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your stress level?"
Yes/No questions: "Do you enjoy studying psychology?"
Likert scales: "I enjoy studying for exams: Strongly Agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly Disagree"

🔓 Open Questions

These allow respondents to answer in their own words, providing more detailed and personal responses.

Example: "What do you find most challenging about studying psychology?"

Advantages: Provides rich, detailed data; allows unexpected responses; gives insight into respondents' thinking.

Disadvantages: Time-consuming to analyse; difficult to compare across respondents; requires more effort from participants.

Designing Effective Questionnaires

Creating a good questionnaire is both an art and a science. Here are some key principles to follow:

💡 Clarity

Use simple, clear language. Avoid jargon, double negatives and ambiguous terms.

Poor: "Don't you agree that not studying is bad?"

Better: "Do you think studying is important?"

📋 Structure

Start with simple questions and move to more complex ones. Group related questions together.

Include clear instructions and ensure a logical flow from one question to the next.

✅ Neutrality

Avoid leading or biased questions that push respondents toward a particular answer.

Leading: "Don't you think social media is harmful?"

Neutral: "What effects do you think social media has?"

Pilot Studies

Before distributing your questionnaire to your full sample, it's essential to conduct a pilot study. This involves testing your questionnaire with a small group of people similar to your target participants.

A pilot study helps you:

Identify confusing or ambiguous questions
Check how long the questionnaire takes to complete
Ensure the instructions are clear
Test your data collection and analysis procedures

Advantages and Disadvantages of Questionnaires

👍 Advantages

Efficient: Can collect data from many people quickly
Cost-effective: Especially online questionnaires
Standardised: All respondents answer the same questions
Anonymity: Encourages honest responses, especially for sensitive topics
Quantifiable: Closed questions produce data that's easy to analyse statistically
Replicable: Other researchers can use the same questionnaire in future studies

👎 Disadvantages

Social desirability bias: People may answer in ways they think are socially acceptable
Low response rates: Many people ignore questionnaires
Misinterpretation: Questions may be understood differently by different respondents
Lack of depth: May not capture the complexity of people's thoughts and feelings
Literacy issues: Requires respondents to read and understand the questions
No clarification: Respondents can't ask for help if they don't understand something

Case Study Focus: The Social Media and Mental Health Questionnaire

In 2019, researchers at the University of Oxford developed a questionnaire to investigate the relationship between social media use and mental health in teenagers. They used a combination of closed questions (e.g., "How many hours per day do you spend on social media?") and Likert scale items (e.g., "I feel anxious when I can't check my social media accounts").

The researchers piloted their questionnaire with 30 teenagers before distributing it to over 1,000 participants aged 13-18. They found that the wording of some questions needed adjustment to be clearer for younger participants. The final questionnaire took approximately 15 minutes to complete and had a response rate of 78%.

This case study demonstrates the importance of careful questionnaire design and piloting, especially when working with younger participants.

Ethical Considerations

When designing and using questionnaires, you must consider several ethical issues:

Informed consent: Participants must understand what the research involves before agreeing to take part.
Confidentiality and anonymity: Personal information should be kept private and individual responses shouldn't be identifiable.
Right to withdraw: Participants should be able to stop completing the questionnaire at any point.
Deception: Avoid misleading participants about the purpose of your questionnaire.
Sensitive questions: Consider the potential psychological impact of asking about traumatic or distressing topics.

Analysing Questionnaire Data

The way you analyse your questionnaire data depends on the types of questions you've asked:

📊 Quantitative Analysis

For closed questions and rating scales, you can use statistical analysis:

Calculate percentages, means and standard deviations
Create graphs and charts to visualise the data
Look for patterns and relationships between different variables
Use statistical tests to determine if differences are significant

📄 Qualitative Analysis

For open questions, you'll need to analyse the text responses:

Identify common themes and patterns in the responses
Code responses into categories
Use quotes to illustrate key points
Consider using content analysis or thematic analysis approaches

Summary: Key Points to Remember

Questionnaires are versatile research tools that can collect data from large samples
They can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured
Questions can be closed (with fixed response options) or open (allowing free responses)
Good questionnaire design requires clarity, appropriate structure and neutrality
Always pilot your questionnaire before using it in your main study
Consider the ethical implications of your questions and how you'll use the data
Analysis methods depend on whether your data is quantitative or qualitative

🧠 Test Your Knowledge!