Surveys Essay

People are often vulnerable to the impact of the way of communication. In this regard, responds of people to questionnaires and interviews depend on the way questions are asked. In fact, questions can vary consistently and people with different educational level, professional background, cultural and racial background, or gender can perceive one and the same question in different ways. In addition, questions may be posed in such a way that the just push respondents to specific answers. In such a situation, outcomes of interviews, questionnaires, surveys and public polls become dependent on the way questions are asked.
First of all, it is worth mentioning the fact that complex questions are always difficult for respondents. What is meant here is the fact that people need more time to consider the response to a complex question than to a simple one. In addition, they may need to rephrase the question or explain it in details in order to understand it. Instead, simple questions are easy to answer and respondents normally have no difficulties with answering simple questions. Therefore, if respondents cannot understand the question or fail to understand it properly, they naturally give response, which do not mirror their opinion, knowledge, or expertise.
Furthermore, educational background affects the perception of questions and responds of people. To put it more precisely, people have different educational background. They are more or less advanced in different fields of knowledge. If they are asked some questions, they naturally use their knowledge they have acquired in the course of their education to respond to the questions. If a person has extensive education, he or she can use his or her broad knowledge to respond to the question, whereas a person with a poor education would rather refer to his or her personal experience than to scientific knowledge he or she could have acquired in the course of education.
In addition, some specialists (Hughes, 227) argue that racial and cultural background can affect the perception of questions. What is meant here is the fact that people with different cultural or racial background can perceive questions in different ways depending on the socio-cultural contexts they were raised up in or live in. Hence, their responses may vary consistently. As a result, people answer in different ways depending on their race or cultural background.
Furthermore, specialists (Babbie, 118) insist that it is necessary to take into consideration the age of respondents. In fact, the age of respondents does matter when they respond to questions because representatives of different generations have different views and experience. Moreover, even the language of representatives of different generations varies consistently. As a result, the difference in language leads to the different perception of questions and responses to them.
Finally, some specialists (Ritzer & Goodman, 146) believe that gender of respondents also affects their answers. For instance, specialists (Ritzer & Goodman, 148) argue that women are more inclined to creative thinking, whereas men are more inclined to logical thinking that makes their responses different, even if they are asked one and the same question.
Thus, outcomes of interviews, polls, and surveys can vary consistently depending on age, gender, race or cultural background, education and other factors, which affect individuals responding to questions.