Chapter 9, Problem 1RQE

Summary Introduction

Introduction:

Open-ended questions allow respondents to answer in their own words and provide more detailed background information. These permit more insight into a person, but are more difficult to quantify. Closed-ended questions offer limited choices to respondents, but can be categorized, analyzed, and interpreted more quickly and easily.

Explanation of Solution

Answer and explanation:

(This question requires a subjective answer, this is an example.)

To convert open-ended questions to closed-ended questions, it is necessary to limit the choices open to respondents in order to gather data that can be more readily compared to others and quantified.

“What was your family’s total income last year?” is an open-ended question that would be converted to a closed ended question like this: “Choose the level of your family’s total income last year. a) below $50,000; b) $50,000 - $100,000; c) $100,000-$250,000; d) over $250,00.”

“How do you feel about the space shuttle program?” becomes:

“Please rate your attitude about the space shuttle program on a scale from 1 (strongly oppose) to 5 (strongly support).”

“How important is religion in your life?” becomes:

“Please rate the importance of religion in your life on a scale from 1 (irrelevant) to 10 (most important)”

“What was your main reason for attending college?” becomes:

“Which one of the following is your main reason for attending college? a) to earn more money later; b) to quench my thirst for knowledge; c) my family expects me to go to college; d) it is a way to break the cycle of poverty in my family; e) to play sports, hoping to become a professional athlete”

“What do you feel is the biggest problem facing your community?” becomes:

“Which of these problems is the biggest one facing your community? a) police brutality; b) institutionalized sexism; c) lack of access to quality education; d) climate change”