Myths About Utilizing Surveys and Questionnaires in Psychology

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Probably the most commonly-used measurement instruments in psychology analysis and observe is what’s known as the patient-reported, or self-reported, take a look at. This methodology entails giving a affected person, shopper, or analysis research participant a survey or questionnaire to gauge their expertise. The survey or questionnaire typically asks about how somebody feels or what they assume. Generally, the questions might be about bodily signs akin to ache, fatigue, and poor sleep.

A pattern I’ve observed is that surveys and questionnaires are sometimes denigrated with pejorative phrases like “subjective” or “unreliable.” The implications of those criticisms are that asking folks to report their emotions, signs and ideas is just not worthwhile—or at the least is much less worthwhile than extra “goal” instruments like blood exams and mind scans. The definition of subjective is that it’s one thing based mostly on an individual’s emotions whereas one thing goal is unbiased or based mostly on details.

This second-class standing of self-reported info is very detrimental to sufferers and the general public typically for a number of causes.

A major motive why the denigration of surveys and questionnaires is dangerous is that it’s based mostly on a fable. Regardless of claiming to be goal, the opinion that survey and questionnaire information is just not helpful is, actually, not based mostly on details and is, as a substitute, subjective.

Let’s contemplate a number of the different forms of exams that psychologists use in analysis or that physicians might use in medical observe. The primary is blood exams measuring chemical substances in an individual’s physique akin to stress hormones (cortisol), indicators of irritation (c-reactive protein), and metabolism (glucose). Different exams embrace physique scans of the physique starting from X-rays to magnetic resonance imaging. One other widespread take a look at is to ask the clinician how a affected person is doing; for instance, asking them to price a affected person’s perform in a sure space on a seven-point scale. A typical fable is that each one these totally different instruments (blood exams, scans, clinician report, surveys, and questionnaires) are measuring the identical factor. They don’t seem to be. What’s in somebody’s blood or proven on a scan is just not the identical factor because the feelings they’re experiencing, the signs they’ve, or the ideas working via their thoughts. Somebody’s feelings, ideas, and signs can differ drastically from what their doctor or psychologist believes they’re experiencing. The parable that each one these exams measure the identical factor varieties the idea for disregarding self-reported information.

One other fable about surveys and questionnaires versus different forms of exams is that different sorts are extra dependable. This isn’t essentially the case. There’s a laundry listing of blood exams which might be unreliable however nonetheless used. Surveys and questionnaires, similar to different forms of information, should undergo a means of growth to make sure that they’re dependable—and so they generally could also be extra dependable than different types of information. What’s measured by surveys and questionnaires—akin to feelings, ideas, signs)—can range from hour to hour (and even minute to minute) and this pure variability is usually mistaken for unreliability. This fable about surveys and questionnaires feeds into the earlier fable that self-reported information is just not worthwhile.

Regardless of the logical arguments for self-reported information, there’s additionally an ethical argument. Self-reported info from surveys and questionnaires is a strategy to measure what an individual perceives about themselves. To ignore these perceptions in favor of different exams which may not measure the identical factor is, to be blunt, paternalistic. It merely says that “I do know higher than you what you’re experiencing based mostly on this blood take a look at/scan/my very own opinion.” I’m not saying that these different exams shouldn’t be used; solely that self-reported information shouldn’t be thought-about as much less beneficial than different exams.

In case you’re questioning why I simply spent a complete publish waxing poetic about survey and questionnaire myths, there are a number of causes. First, disregarding what folks say on surveys and questionnaires is disregarding their expertise and that’s extremely invalidating and dangerous. One other downside is that money and time is usually wasted chasing an “goal” measure of some psychological expertise after we might have simply requested folks. Surveys and questionnaires are sometimes less expensive each to develop and use than blood exams, scans, and different biologically-based exams. Whereas every sort of take a look at has its personal place and worth, self-reported surveys and questionnaires ought to positively be thought-about as beneficial as different measures.