Why is survey research subject selection considered nonrandom? ...

[Mr. Wonderful]

Why is survey research subject selection considered nonrandom? (Select all that apply.)
 
  a. If monetary reward is offered as an inducement, subjects may participate only to get the reward. The sample may include fewer people who are well off financially.
  b. There is no direct contact with the subjects.
  c. Follow-up reminders make recruitment long and drawn-out.
  d. Inducements are essentially manipulative; potential subjects who resent manipulation refuse to return surveys.
  e. Refusal rates average 50 or more, and this makes the sample nonrepresentative.

Question 2

Why is a large refusal rate a barrier to widespread generalization? (Select all that apply.)
 
  a. If a study has a refusal rate higher than thirty percent, it is no longer considered research.
  b. If researchers cannot recruit subjects into their research studies, their credibility and ethics are under serious scrutiny.
  c. The actual sample is not representative of the population. It is representative only of the elements of the population that chose to participate.
  d. If many persons refuse to participate, they might refuse to participate in interventions that the study recommends.

[rnehls]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: A, D, E
In conducting a survey study, the researcher may never have personal contact with the subjects. To recruit such subjects, one must rely on the use of attention-getting techniques, persuasively written material, and strategies for following up on individuals who do not respond to the initial written or e-mail communication. Because of the serious problems of low response rates in survey studies, using strategies to raise the response rate is critical. In some cases, small amounts of money (1 to 5 dollars) are enclosed with the letter. This may produce a feeling of obligation on the part of the potential participant. Survey research return rate varies from 5 through about 50 for most studies. Interestingly, the accuracy of responses in survey research is slightly better with a lower return

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A, B, C
Sampling theory was developed to determine mathematically the most effective way to acquire a sample that would accurately reflect the population under study. For a sample to be representative, it must be like the target population in as many ways as possible. It is especially important that the sample be representative in relation to the variables being studied and to other factors that may influence the study variables. A sample must be representative of the demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, ethnicity, income, and education, which often influence study variables. The accessible population must be representative of the target population. If the accessible population is limited to a particular setting or type of setting, the individuals seeking care at that setting may be different from those who would seek care for the same problem in other settings or from those who choose to use self-care to manage their problems. Representativeness is usually evaluated through comparison of the numerical values of the sample (a statistic such as the mean) with the same values from the target population.

[Mr. Wonderful]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[epscape]

Gracias!