Pretesting of Questionnaires

Abstract

U TSE of the questionnaire appears to be steadily increasing despite the vast amount of criticism of this instrument, the growing awareness among investigators of its limitations, and the small proportion of returns commonly yielded by the questionnaire. The greatest increase in the use of this device during the past decade has not been by individual social scientists but by governmental and business organizations. Amplified employment of the questionnaire by governmental agencies is explained by the unprecedented demands upon them during these depression years and the need for gathering data quickly to formulate new programs and to check upon their effectiveness. An investigation recently completed by the Central Statistical Board provides evidence concerning the widespread use of the questionnaire by governmental agencies for these purposes.' Business corporations are making increased use of the questionnaire primarily for market research. Study of consumers' preferences by this means has been judged a profitable way to discover unexploited markets, to test the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, and more particularly to aid manufacturers in designing their products so as to maximize sales. As an example of this trend, one may cite an automobile corporation which sends fifteen or twenty questionnaires a year to potential purchasers of its products. Meanwhile, there is no evidence that social scientists have been utilizing the questionnaire less often or that they can dispense with this technique when it is necessary to gather information at low cost from a large number of people living at a distance from the investigator. The increasing use of the questionnaire by government and business, does, however, present a dual challenge to the social scientist when he finds it necessary to use this device. The social scientist must now compete with these new users of the questionnaire for the time and attention of the recipients of these inquiries, as well as against all of the other competing demands upon the time of the average man that are made by the motion pictures, the radio, the magazine, the newspaper, and the host of organizations whose existence depends upon his interest and participation. These new users seem more aware than do many social scientists of the urgency of this competition, and more cognizant of the need for making