Survey Structure

Scaling Study

Understanding the complexities of developing a proper measurement process required a sample survey project. Analyzing the responses from the sample survey project "Financial Peace," provided the information needed to assess the validity, reliability, and practicality of the survey. The most important factor in the development of a survey is the management question. This question is the predicament. Managers need answers to assist in resolving managerial problems or to provide guidance for a future trend. The sample survey stems from a management question, is there a market for financial peace management classes? Before examining the responses, the explanation of the survey development provides the foundation to the scaling study.

What is measured?

The development of the survey required understanding the difference between objects and properties. Variables studied in research are classified as an object or property. Objects include the concepts of ordinary experience, such as tangible items like furniture, laundry detergent, people, or automobiles (Cooper & Schindler, 2011, p. 272). The properties of the objects are the characteristics, if we asked questions concerning a piece of furniture than the description of the furniture, such as color, height, and designs are the characteristics. A survey depends on different concepts but the quality depends on what measures are selected and how they fit the circumstance (Borland Jr., 2001). In the "Financial Peace" survey, measuring psychological properties is the intent. The use of money is inescapable. People's attitude toward money and their desire to improve their financial situation is measured. The measurement requires three major criteria, validity, reliability, and practicality to form good characteristics of measurement. Examining the validity of the survey provides the starting point.

Validity

Designing a survey to measure a targeted audience requires validation. Three major forms of accepted classification of validity exist for scientific measurement, content validity, criterion-related, and construct validity (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). Content validity requires agreement of what elements create adequate coverage. The survey "Financial Peace" is a test-run, or an exploratory survey. Designing an elaborate or a more comprehensive survey from the test-run requires validity or it is of no use to management. The content of the survey consisted of 10 questions concerning personal finances, financial attitude, and financial education. The content validity is in question because with only a limited amount of questions it is likely that adequate coverage was not achieved.

Because this is an exploratory survey, the inadequate content coverage is easily fixed in a more extensive survey. Accomplishing more content coverage through the grouping of the questions may provide a better survey. Asking too many questions concerning personal finances might distract the surveyed. Again the question from management is the predicament, people already know their situation and the survey's design is to analyze possible new financial education markets. The next form of validity, criterion-related is delicate. This type of validation stems from a prediction of a possible outcome.

The successful measurement of criterion-related validity provides the researcher with a prediction or estimate, any criterion is judged in terms of four qualities (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). Relevance for the "Financial Peace" survey is difficult to measure properly because financial stability is different for each person. The purpose of the survey is to judge adequately the responses for a potential financial educational market. Many people with six figure incomes are cannot manage their money