Thinking About Answers : The Application of Cognitive Processes to Survey Methodology (Jossey Bass Social and Behavioral Science Series)

Rating:
Summary: How do people answer our questions ?
Review: The cognitive psychology behind questionnaire and interview development. One of the best reviews of the theory of asking questions. Represents years of expertise. Very recommended.

The notion of looking inside the question answering process is very important for folks writing and administering questionnaire surveys. This text doesn't so much tell you how to do surveys and interviews, as it gets you thinking about how you are interacting with your respondents.

For example, Sudman, et al. will get you thinking about surveys and interviews as a conversation - the norms and expectations that respondents will have of you and how they will interpret your questioning. Similarly, you will read about the four stage process that respondents go through in interpreting your questions, bringing up from memory the information they need to answer your questions, how they 'calculate' their answers, and then how they translate their ideas into an answer format.

I would also recommend Tourangeau, et al. "The Pyschology of Survey Response".