Cognition, Communication and Survey Measurement

3 Credits

Major sources of survey error-such as reporting errors and nonresponse bias-from the perspective of social and cognitive psychology and related disciplines. Topics: psychology of memory and its bearing on classical survey issues (e.g., underreporting and telescoping); models of language use and their implications for the interpretation and misinterpretation of survey questions; and studies of attitudes, attitude change, and their possible application to increasing response rates and improving the measurement of opinions. Theories and findings from the social and behavioral sciences will be explored.