Some Notes on Questionnaire Construction


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The National Opinion and Research Center's General Social Survey is one of the most highly respected personal interview surveys in the United States. It covers an exceptionally broad variety of topics on a regular basis and emphasizes replication of questions or series of questions to measure public opinion on a given topic over time. As we have discussed in class, the way an interview question is worded will affect the outcome (or the responses people give). The following tables were taken from the General Social Survey on the Web-- http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/GSS99/about/gss/gssintro.htm. Examine each of the questions presented below along with its related table. Under what circumstances is there a majority of support for abortion? When is the public not likely to support abortion? Note that there are several questions that seek public opinion about a woman's decision to have an abortion for any reason (or under any circumstances). These questions do not produce the same results? What do you think is the reason for this?

Palen defines social problems as "…issues that substantial numbers of the society view as violations of society's social norms or expectations, and about which people believe something can and should be done." (p. 10) In this sense, is abortion a social problem in the United States? Or, is the controversy over abortion (and the sharply divided public sentiment it generates) a social problem? Palen addresses the future of this issue on page 165. 

Note: Permission has been obtained from NORC to reprint the following tables. 

 
 
206. Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if. . .READ EACH STATEMENT, AND CIRCLE ONE CODE FOR EACH. 

A. If there is a strong chance of serious defect in the baby? 
 
RESPONSE PUNCH
YEAR 
 COL. 780
    1972-82 1982B 1983-87 1987B 1988-91 1993 1994 1996 ALL
Yes 
1
10980
236
4625
236
3,056
840
1585
1514
23,072
No 
2
2195
92
1210
94
707
193
341
336
5,168
Don't know 
8
419
25
187
21
141
37
68
66
964
No answer 
9
32
1
50
2
16
5
2
7
115
Not applicable 
BK
0
0
1470
0
1,987
51
996
981
5,965


 
 
206. Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if. . .READ EACH STATEMENT, AND CIRCLE ONE CODE FOR EACH. 

B. If she is married and does not want any more children? 
 
RESPONSE PUNCH
YEAR 
 COL. 781
    1972-82 1982B 1983-87 1987B 1988-91 1993 1994 1996 ALL
Yes 
1
5920
111
2387
125
1,640
480
930
853
12,446
No 
2
7133
216
3452
206
2,129
539
995
972
15,642
Don't know 
8
542
26
181
20
132
51
65
91
1,108
No answer 
9
31
1
52
2
19
5
6
7
123
Not applicable 
BK
0
0
1470
0
1,987
531
996
981
5,965


 
 
206. Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if. . .READ EACH STATEMENT, AND CIRCLE ONE CODE FOR EACH. 

E. If she became pregnant as a result of rape? 
 
RESPONSE PUNCH
YEAR 
 COL. 784
    1972-82 1982B 1983-87 1987B 1988-91 1993 1994 1996 ALL
Yes 
1
10922
234
4703
246
3,131
850
1616
1550
23,252
No 
2
2123
97
1080
84
602
175
318
289
4,768
Don't know 
8
533
20
236
20
167
46
60
77
1,159
No answer 
9
48
3
53
3
20
4
2
7
140
Not applicable 
BK
0
0
1470
0
1,987
531
996
981
5,965


 
 
206. Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if. . .READ EACH STATEMENT, AND CIRCLE ONE CODE FOR EACH. 

F. If she is not married and does not want to marry the man? 
 
RESPONSE PUNCH
YEAR 
 COL. 785
    1972-82 1982B 1983-87 1987B 1988-91 1993 1994 1996 ALL
Yes 
1
6197
100
2419
109
1,635
488
923
822
12,693
No 
2
6795
232
3390
226
2,104
526
1015
1010
15,298
Don't know 
8
594
21
208
15
161
56
52
80
1,187
No answer 
9
40
1
55
3
20
5
6
11
141
Not applicable 
BK
0
0
1470
0
1,987
531
996
981
5,965


 
 
206. Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if. . .READ EACH STATEMENT, AND CIRCLE ONE CODE FOR EACH. 

G. The woman wants it for any reason?
 
RESPONSE PUNCH
YEAR 
 COL. 786
    1972-82 1982B 1983-87 1987B 1988-91 1993 1994 1996 ALL
Yes 
1
2221
87
2164
129
1,523
458
895
819
8,296
No 
2
3584
237
3646
207
2,230
552
1039
1002
12,497
Don't know 
8
209
26
201
14
147
59
56
94
806
No answer 
9
22
4
61
3
20
6
6
8
130
Not applicable 
BK
7590
0
1470
0
1,987
531
996
981
13,555


 
 
251. Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances, or never legal under any circumstance? 
 
RESPONSE PUNCH
YEAR 
 COL. 928
    1972-82 1982B 1983-87 1987B 1988-91 1993 1994 1996 ALL
Under any circumstances 
1
331
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
331
Under circumstances 
2
1031
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1,031
Never legal 
3
135
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
135
No opinion 
8
22
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
22
No answer 
9
11
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
11
Not applicable 
BK
12096
354
7542
353
5,907
1606
2992
2904
33,754

 
 
626. Do you agree or disagree . . . 

C. A pregnant woman should be able to obtain a legal abortion for any reason whatsoever, if she chooses not to have the baby. 
 
RESPONSE PUNCH
YEAR 
 COL. 3283
    1972-82 1982B 1983-87 1987B 1988-91 1993 1994 1996 ALL
Strongly agree 
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
257
0
257
Agree 
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
349
0
349
Neither agree nor disagree 
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
126
0
126
Disagree 
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
287
0
287
Strongly disagree 
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
313
0
313
Can't choose 
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
34
0
34
No answer 
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
81
0
81
Not applicable 
BK
13626
354
7542
353
5907
1606
1545
2904
33,837


 
 
 
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