Factorial Survey Method Research Articles

Development of a factorial survey for use in an international study examining clinicians’ likelihood to support the decision to initiate invasive long-term ventilation for a child (the TechChild study)

BackgroundThe decision to initiate invasive long-term ventilation for a child with complex medical needs can be extremely challenging. TechChild is a research programme that aims to explore the liminal space between initial consideration of such technology dependence and the final decision. This paper presents a best practice example of the development of a unique use of the factorial survey method to identify the main influencing factors in this critical juncture in a child’s care.MethodsWe developed a within-subjects design factorial survey. In phase 1 (design) we defined the survey goal (dependent variable, mode and sample). We defined and constructed the factors and factor levels (independent variables) using previous qualitative research and existing scientific literature. We further refined these factors based on expert feedback from expert clinicians and a statistician. In phase two (pretesting), we subjected the survey tool to several iterations (cognitive interviewing, face validity testing, statistical review, usability testing). In phase three (piloting) testing focused on feasibility testing with members of the target population (n = 18). Ethical approval was obtained from the then host institution’s Health Sciences Ethics Committee.ResultsInitial refinement of factors was guided by literature and interviews with clinicians and grouped into four broad categories: Clinical, Child and Family, Organisational, and Professional characteristics. Extensive iterative consultations with clinical and statistical experts, including analysis of cognitive interviews, identified best practice in terms of appropriate: inclusion and order of clinical content; cognitive load and number of factors; as well as language used to suit an international audience. The pilot study confirmed feasibility of the survey. The final survey comprised a 43-item online tool including two age-based sets of clinical vignettes, eight of which were randomly presented to each participant from a total vignette population of 480.ConclusionsThis paper clearly explains the processes involved in the development of a factorial survey for the online environment that is internationally appropriate, relevant, and useful to research an increasingly important subject in modern healthcare. This paper provides a framework for researchers to apply a factorial survey approach in wider health research, making this underutilised approach more accessible to a wider audience.

Using a Factorial Survey to Estimate the Relative Importance of Well-Being Dimensions According to Older People: Insights From a Repeated Survey Experiment in Flanders.

Background and ObjectivesAlthough it has become standard to include the views of older people when assessing their well-being, most existing methods are ill-suited to estimate the relative importance of well-being dimensions. This article investigates the potential of the factorial survey method to estimate the relative importance of six well-being dimensions (health, income, social relations, leisure, engaging activities, and religion) based on the views of older people themselves.Research Design and MethodsWe implemented a factorial survey in a repeated survey experiment among 800 older adults in Flanders (the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium). We performed several within-sample test–retests to investigate the consistency of the estimated coefficients over time (i.e., temporal reliability). In addition, we tested the feasibility of the factorial survey by studying two indicators of cognitive load: response time and response consistency.ResultsWe estimated the relative importance of increases in six well-being dimensions. Increases from the lowest level to the highest level in the dimensions of health, income, and social relations had the highest effect on well-being—followed by leisure, engaging activities, and religion. The results proved to be consistent in most of the test–retest analyses. Furthermore, we found that respondents produced a high level of response consistency within an acceptable amount of response time.Discussion and ImplicationsThe findings suggest that the factorial survey method offers a promising way forward to elicit older people’s views on well-being and, hence, in developing tailored policies that matter to them.

The Effect of Extralegal Factors in Decision-Making About Juvenile Offenders in Chile: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

This study seeks to identify the underlying factors related to the sentencing process for juvenile justice cases in Chile. To this end, a factorial survey method or quasi-experimental vignette method was used. This method allows us to understand with greater clarity the complex cognitive process involved in judicial decision-making. The results confirm that legal factors carry the critical weight for judicial decisions, though extralegal factors also play a role. Among these, factors associated with the offender (such as drug use and school attendance) and characteristics of the judges themselves (such as judicial attitudes and their previous experience) all influenced the decision-making process. These findings allow us to provide evidence about decision-making in the Latin American contexts and add to existing evidence in order to understand the moderating effect of certain class and gender stereotypes.

Controlling for Taste Preferences – A Factorial Survey about the Orientation to Judgment Devices in Movie Choice

This paper examines the gains in complexity reduction and causality identification pro­vided by the factorial survey for the analysis of a market characterized by uncertainty. The starting point is the problem of quality uncertainty for the market actor, commonly dealt with in economic sociology. Using Karpik’s approach of the ‘Economics of Singularities’, the problem of choosing the right movie is expounded and the question of what moviegoers base their choice on is developed. The uncertainty in question is the result of subjective tastes, which also leads to a methodological problem. As a result, previous studies mea­sured taste preferences instead of the influence of judgment devices. By means of a study on the right choice of movie, the paper shows that the method of the factorial survey has the important advantages of being able to control for taste preferences as well as to detect causality. Data collected among students is presented and hypotheses based on Karpik’s concepts are tested. The results show that expert judgements such as critics’ recommenda­tions and awards have a high influence on the choice of independent movies. On the other hand, the choice of blockbuster movies is additionally influenced by its listing in the charts and the ratings by other consumers. This shows not only that different social devices are used for orientation depending on preference, but also how strong their influence is in each case. Therefore, it is argued that the factorial survey method offers some advantages for the analysis of the causal influence of judgment devices in choice situations, especially for singular goods, which are highly complex and thus difficult to compare. Finally, limitations of the study as well as the method used are discussed.

Transforming the automotive retail: Drivers for customers' omnichannel BOPS (Buy Online & Pick up in Store) behavior

This study aims to identify the drivers in BOPS (Buy Online & Pick up in Store) usage intention of omnichannel consumers in the automotive retail sector. The study proposes a conceptual framework, extended UTAUT-TTF, synthesizing various theoretical perspectives and revealing the mechanism behind consumer behavior. The research surveyed 436 potential customers in South Korea, incorporating a factorial survey method. The findings suggest that Performance expectancy, Effort expectancy, and Facilitating conditions have a mediation effect through Task-technology fit affecting Usage intention. The results also support the influences of decisive factors in predicting the consumers' preferences to use BOPS. Social influence, however, did not present a significant effect on Usage intention. Personal innovativeness, selected for the extension of UTAUT, was the strongest predictor for the customer's BOPS usage intention. The research contributes to future technology acceptance literature, proposing that UTAUT-TTF can serve an essential role in predicting consumer behavior.

High-Risk Deviant Decisions: Does Neutralization Still Play a Role?

Extant research has shown that neutralization processes can enable potential IS security policy violators to justify their behavior and overcome the deterrence effect of sanctions in order to engage in unethical behaviors. However, such sanctions are typically moderate and not career ending. We test the boundary conditions of this theory by evaluating whether neutralization plays a role in overcoming the impact of extreme levels of deterrence. We extend the Siponen and Vance (2010) framework within a professional context that assigns extreme sanctions to violators. Using the scenario-based factorial survey method common in IS security research, we collected data from future auditors who understand these extreme sanctions. We test the reasons that auditors may use to form intentions to falsify information concerning an information security issue with a company’s accounting information system, thereby jeopardizing data integrity and security by modifying working papers to hide irregularities and, by doing so, violating their professional standards, which could result in career-ending sanctions. We empirically validated and tested the theoretical model. Our results show that sanctions play an important role in reducing employees’ intentions to violate policy but that, even under extreme boundary conditions, employees might seek to rationalize their unethical behavior by denying responsibility for their actions through, for example, arguing that their supervisors pressured them into performing the violations. We also establish that messages heightening the awareness and perceptions of the certainty and severity of organizational punishment are likely to attenuate such deviant behaviors. We discuss the implications of these findings and suggest future avenues for research.

Do bad experiences loom larger than good ones? The role of prior purchase experiences on the effectiveness of IS certifications

ABSTRACT IS certifications are important sources for customer trust building in e-commerce. However, little is known about how their effect changes between initial and repeat purchases, despite many other aspects of e-commerce are customised to focal customers’ shopping history. In this study, we investigate how prior purchase experiences with the same vendor moderate the effect of IS certifications on purchase intention via customers’ trust in a vendor. We propose a research model based on Expectation Confirmation Theory and test our hypotheses using the Factorial Survey Method with a sample of 160 participants evaluating 480 scenarios. Our results indicate that prior shopping experiences moderate IS certifications’ effect, however, depending on quality and quantity of the experiences made. Most importantly, negative experiences decrease IS certifications’ influence on trust in a vendor. Our findings facilitate more refined theory-building efforts in IS certification research and help to guide e-commerce vendors in their IS certification deployment practices.

CONCERN Factorial Design Survey (FDS) Methods Test: Using REDCap as a Survey Platform.

We assessed the feasibility of using REDCap as a factorial design survey (FDS) platform. REDCap lacks randomization and automation functionality, requiring the development of a workaround. A template survey was created containing all vignettes, copied for each survey instance and edited to hide unwanted content. REDCap configuration required three hours for forty-two surveys. The utilized "copy-and-hide" workaround was successful, providing quasi-automation and reasonable labor-time. Additional strategies are planned using REDCap's Data Dictionary and other survey software.

Physicians and caregivers do differ in ethical attitudes to daily clinical practice

It is commonly assumed that there are differences in physicians’ and caregivers’ ethical attitudes towards clinical situations. The assumption is that the difference is driven by different values, views and judgements in specific situations. At Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark, we aimed to investigate these assumptions by conducting a large quantitative study. The study design, based on the Factorial Survey Method, was a carefully constructed survey with 50 questions designed to test which factors influenced the respondents’ ethical reasoning. The factors were clustered into three categories of ethical reasoning and values. The categories were formulated in terms of easily recognizable ethical positions: consequential ethics, deontological ethics and relational ethics. Based on 2129 respondents, we found significant support for the assumption of differences between physicians and caregivers. The group of caregivers favoured the relational ethics view in clinical ethical situations, and the group of physicians favoured the position of deontological ethics.

Examining Procedural Justice and Legitimacy in Corporate Offending and Beyond‐Compliance Behavior: The Efficacy of Direct and Indirect Regulatory Interactions

Tom Tyler's Procedural Justice Theory has received support in a variety of studies using criminal justice authorities as the research focus. To date, the theory has not been empirically tested using corporate malfeasance as an outcome, despite evidence that procedural justice is important in achieving regulatory compliance. This study uses factorial survey methods to examine whether corporate behavior is predicted by professionals' perceptions of procedural justice and legal legitimacy. We find that procedural justice and legitimacy considerations are salient only when managers have direct contact with regulatory authorities. This supports John Braithwaite's argument that effective regulation is enhanced by microlevel interactions in which procedural justice can be effectively leveraged to promote compliance.

Determinants of the intention to use Buy-Online, Pickup In-Store (BOPS): The moderating effects of situational factors and product type

Despite the wider introduction of the buy online and pick up in-store (BOPS) service by retailers, research on BOPS is still sparse, especially those from the consumer perspective. This paper employs the scenario-based factorial survey method to investigate how the perceived characteristics of innovation and the perceived risk of online shopping influence the consumers’ intention to use BOPS while also considering the moderating effects of situational factors (location convenience) and product type (involvement). Our findings indicated that the consumer perceptions of relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, and risks involved in online shopping are important antecedents to intention to use BOPS, and that these relationships were significantly moderated by locational convenience and product involvement. The implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed in detail.

Using IT Design to Prevent Cyberbullying

The rise of social media has fostered increasing instances of deviant behavior. Arguably, the most notable of these is cyberbullying (CB), which is an increasing global concern because of the social and financial ramifications. This has necessitated a new line of research aimed at understanding and preventing CB. Although much progress has been made in understanding CB, little is known about how to prevent it, especially through the information technology (IT) design. Based on the need for a better causal theory and more effective empirical methods to investigate and mitigate this phenomenon, we leverage the control balance theory (CBT) for system design. Our model examines the causes of CB from several novel angles, including (1) the strong nonlinear influence of control imbalances on CB, and (2) using the concept of fit to understand how different design features of information technology artifacts influence factors such as deindividuation and accountability, thus affecting control imbalance. Using an innovative factorial survey method that enabled us to manipulate IT design features to obtain a nuanced view, we tested our model with 507 adults and found strong support for our model. The results show that IT design features create a strong CB opportunity for individuals who perceive that they are controlled by others. Whether this perception is real or imagined, it creates a sense of vulnerability, prompting them to engage in CB. We can thus propose specific IT design feature manipulations that can be used to discourage CB. These results should have salient implications for researchers and social media designers, especially in developing social media networks that are safe, supportive, responsible, and constructive.

Examining employee computer abuse intentions: insights from justice, deterrence and neutralization perspectives

AbstractAlthough employee computer abuse is a costly and significant problem for firms, the existing academic literature regarding this issue is limited. To address this gap, we apply a multi‐theoretical model to explain employees' intentions to abuse computers. To understand the motives for such behaviour, we investigate the role of two forms of organizational justice – distributive and procedural – both of which provide explanations of how perceptions of unfairness are created in the organizational context. By applying deterrence theory, we also examine the extent to which formal sanctions influence and moderate the intentions to abuse computers. Finally, we examine how the potential motives for abuse may be moderated by techniques of neutralization, which allow offenders to justify their actions and absolve themselves of any associated feelings of guilt and shame. Utilizing the scenario‐based factorial survey method for our experimental design, we empirically evaluated the association between these antecedents and the behavioural intention to violate Information systems (IS) security policies in an environment where the measurement of actual behaviour would be impossible. Our findings suggest that individual employees may form intentions to commit computer abuse if they perceive the presence of procedural injustice and that techniques of neutralization and certainty of sanctions moderate this influence. The implications of these findings for research and practice are presented. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Being Mapuche today in Chile: judgement criteria for ethnic identification among the new generation

ABSTRACTThis study seeks to identify the underlying factors that sustain ethnic identification judgements – in this case regarding the Mapuche ethnic group – elaborated by a sample of Chilean young people who live in the Santiago metropolitan region. To this end a factorial survey method was used, incorporating quasi-experimental vignettes, which demonstrate social and individual determinants of human judgements. The results show that both self-identification as Mapuche and last name – particularly the paternal surname – are the criteria considered most relevant to inform judgements about ethnic identity. It is clear that there is a complex idea about what it means to be Mapuche today among young people in Chile, combining both subjective and objective factors. This conjunction shows the narrowness of the constructivist and essentialist proposals for understanding ethnicity.

Feasibility of the Factorial Survey Method in Aging Research: Consistency Effects Among Older Respondents.

The factorial survey (FS) method is increasingly used in the social sciences. It is particularly suitable for studying decision situations that are difficult to assess empirically. This article evaluates whether the FS method is suitable for studying decisions in gerontological research. The present article draws on data from the Housing Opportunities & Mobility in the Elderly study. A total of 103 respondents (between 55 and 90 years) were asked to make hypothetical relocation decisions. The consistency of these responses was assessed as a function of respondents' age, gender, immigration background, education, household income, employment status, and intention to move. No significant differences in response consistency were attributable to age, gender, education, or immigration background. The personal relevance of the survey topic was positively related to response consistency in multiperson households. FS method can, under certain methodological conditions, be used among older adults especially when the topic of the survey is relevant to their daily lives.

Learning to reason: the factorial survey as a teaching tool in social work education

This article proceeds from the notion that the ability to reason well – i.e. to try to find justified answers to questions such as ‘what is the case?’ and ‘what ought to be done?’ – constitutes an essential professional skill, which can be acquired and advanced in professional education. Accordingly, drawing on the much-used argument model developed by the philosopher Stephen Toulmin, we present a conceptual model for professional reasoning and propose an innovative tool for exercising reasoning in professional education. The tool involves the sociologist Peter Rossi’s factorial survey method, which is based on the use of experimentally constructed fictive descriptions (vignettes). By having students make judgements of a large number of short vignettes (N = 96) and conducting statistical analyses separately for each individual, we construct judgement profiles displaying the causal predictors of each student’s judgements. These profiles are subsequently employed in reflective discussions and for constructing arguments in accordance with the Toulmin model. By focussing in detail on the structure and contents of the arguments underlying each student’s judgements, this teaching tool provides a number of advantages. For example, it can be used for making arguments relying on less reliable knowledge sources more transparent and thus open to scrutiny. Further, due to its experimental features, the tool makes it possible to analyse results of both reflective and intuitive thinking. Furthermore, it offers a way of encouraging the students to deal in an analytic and deliberate manner with the potential cognitive errors resulting from intuitive thinking, such as stereotyping.

Using Factorial Surveys to Study Justice Perceptions: Five Methodological Problems of Attitudinal Justice Research

This article provides an overview of how factorial surveys have been used in justice research in the past. It addresses the question of why this method is particularly useful to survey attitudes toward justice. This question is discussed with reference to five problems of empirical justice research. For each of these problems, findings are presented from recent justice research that has used the factorial survey method, with a focus on assessing the allocation and distribution of goods (earnings/income, transfer payments, pensions) and burdens (taxes). The paper concludes with a discussion of future developments and possible applications in this research field.

Using Factorial Surveys to Study Justice Perceptions: Five Methodological Problems of Attitudinal Justice Research

This article provides an overview of how factorial surveys have been used in justice research in the past. It addresses the question of why this method is particularly useful to survey attitudes toward justice. This question is discussed with reference to five problems of empirical justice research. For each of these problems, findings are presented from recent justice research that has used the factorial survey method, with a focus on assessing the allocation and distribution of goods (earnings/income, transfer payments, pensions) and burdens (taxes). The paper concludes with a discussion of future developments and possible applications in this research field.

The Complexity of Public Attitudes Toward Sex Crimes

Previous research suggests that public opinion about crime is nuanced, as it has been found to vary greatly depending upon the type of questions asked and the amount of information provided. Few have similarly examined the complexity of public attitudes specifically about sex crimes. A survey was administered to a sample of U.S. residents utilizing the factorial survey method. The results suggest that specific details about the offense, offender, and victim had a significant effect on perceptions. The findings point to discrepancies between policy and public opinion, as well as to the importance of educating the public about the realities of sexual offending and victimization.

Increasing Accountability Through User-Interface Design Artifacts: A New Approach to Addressing the Problem of Access-Policy Violations

Access-policy violations are a growing problem with substantial costs for organizations. Although training programs and sanctions have been suggested as a means of reducing these violations, evidence shows the problem persists. It is thus imperative to identify additional ways to reduce access-policy violations, especially for systems providing broad access to data. We use accountability theory to develop four user-interface (UI) design artifacts that raise users' accountability perceptions within systems and in turn decrease access-policy violations. To test our model, we uniquely applied the scenario-based factorial survey method to various graphical manipulations of a records system containing sensitive information at a large organization with over 300 end users who use the system daily. We show that the UI design artifacts corresponding to four submanipulations of accountability can raise accountability and reduce access policy violation intentions. Our findings have several theoretical and practical implications for increasing accountability using UI design. Moreover, we are the first to extend the scenario-based factorial survey method to test design artifacts. This method provides the ability to use more design manipulations and to test with fewer users than is required in traditional experimentation and research on human--computer interaction. We also provide bootstrapping tests of mediation and moderation and demonstrate how to analyze fixed and random effects within the factorial survey method optimally.