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Week 4: Scaling Study
Scaling Study
Mr. Pierre Arbajian
Week 4
Frederick R. Paige III
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Introduction
One way to bring research to life and find answers is through surveys and
questionnaires. This form of research can be tailored to fit the questionnaires needs
regarding a specific topic of research. There are many different types of investigative
questions and scale measurements to identify a research topic. Choosing the correct
questions and scales is important to the validity of the research and what the research
objects are. In this short scale study, I have asked ten questions about government and
government decisions that affect peoples everyday lives. Some of these questions are
intrusive and somewhat personal. I will then break down the answers and explain the
different questions used and the responses to the validity and reliability of the questions.
Questions
The questions I asked in this research was political based and the objective was to
get an understanding of a few people and how they view a broad basis of the political
system.
Questions: Do you believe marijuana should be legalized? Do you believe in God?
Which God do you believe in? What political party would represent you and most of your
beliefs? On a rating of 1-5 (1 being disagree and 5 being the most agreeable) do you think
politics and government is intrusive in our everyday lives? Ho so? Would you burn an
American flag for a million dollars? Should the death penalty be used more than life
sentences to reduce the cost of taxes? Are you afraid others will judge you from reading
some of your answers?
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Results
Selecting a measurement scale is important to the results you will receive in your
questionnaire and requires consideration of several factors. Participants answers will
influence the reliability, validity, and practicality of the scale therefore it is important to
establish an objective to get the correct results of the study. Cooper & Schnidler (2011)
state. Researchers objectives are too numerous to list (including, but no limited to, studies
of attitude, attitude change, persuasion, awareness, purchase intention, cognition and
action, actual and repeat purchase). Researchers, however, face two general types of
scaling objectives: To measure characteristics of the participants who participate in the
study and to use participants as judges of the objects or indicants presented to them.
In this study my objective was to study the attitude and awareness of peoples view
on the government. Some of the feedback in answers I received was varied because of the
scaled questions I asked and also the response types. I used a rating in one question so that
participants could compare to evaluate the governments intrusiveness in our lives. This
scale was also balanced because of the number of ratings the participants were allowed to
choose from. There was an equal number above and below the midpoint. I then used an
open-ended question to narrow down the specifics of that rating scale question to
determine the exact example the participants were thinking about.
Categorization was also used in the questionnaire to indicate a participants
affiliation of political party and their belief in God. Within the scope of this categorization
an unforced-choice rating scale was introduced to participants to provide them with an
opportunity to opt-out of the question or give a more detailed answer that was not
provided. In the survey question of: Which God do you believe in? The answer choices
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were: God, Allah, Buddha or Other. This did not restrict the choices but instead gave
participants an alternative answer that was not categorized by the survey.
Cooper & Schindler (2011) state. The simple category scale (also called a
dichotomous scale) offers two mutually exclusive response choices. They are usually yes
and no, but they could just as easily be important and unimportant, agree and
disagree, or another set of discrete categories if the question were different. I used this
simple category scale multiple times throughout this survey to get yes or no answers to
simple questions. In using this simple category scale I also left an option for and unforced
rating scale with the option for I dont know or I do not care what others think.
Validity and Reliability
This survey questionnaire study was conducted to get a general sense of how the
participants felt about the American Government and gage a common knowledge of what
political issues are important to them. I used investigative questions to identify relative
concepts relating to the government. I gave appropriate scales to identify and measure the
behavior and knowledge of the participants. The validity and reliability of the
questionnaire was practical to the responses because the responses that were given as
choices were not to broad and not to construct. The participants were able to choose from
a variety of scales and had options beyond the scales to elaborate further if needed. I
believe my research to the participants knowledge of the government and political issues
important to the participants was founded and true. The research I gathered can be
accurately measured on numerous scales to calculate participants feelings and behavioral
intentions toward the government.
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References
Cooper, D. R. & Schindler, P. S. (2011). Business research methods (11
th
ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill Irwin.