Cognition and Survey Research

Survey methods research--an interdisciplinary approach. Introducing the theory and tools of cognitive aspects of survey methodology (CASM)--a movement that has greatly contributed to the evolving field of survey methods research--this collection of monographs explores advances in the use of cognitive psychology and other sciences to improve the quality of data collected in surveys. In 22 articles commissioned specifically for this volume, leading survey researchers, social scientists, and statisticians from around the globe evaluate the advantages of interdisciplinary survey techniques, focusing on the many contributions of the CASM movement and drawing on such disciplines as statistics, cognitive psychology, sociology, behavioral sciences, anthropology, linguistics, and computer sciences. The authors explain basic concepts and methodologies and demonstrate the application of cognitive theory to all phases of survey research, including data processing, analysis, presentation, and administration. They provide a critical review of the history and findings of CASM-oriented research and describe useful cognitive models used in survey testing and design. Also, the authors discuss the expanding role of computer technologies and statistical advances in the interdisciplinary aspects of survey methods and draw a roadmap for interdisciplinary survey research into the twenty-first century. Clearly written and supplemented with extensive references and more than 80 figures and charts, Cognition and Survey Research is an indispensable guide for statisticians and professionals who would like to be at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary survey methods research involving the social, cognitive, computer, or statistical sciences.

Monroe G. Sirken and Douglas J. Herrmann are the authors of Cognition and Survey Research, published by Wiley.