CAS 892 Module 3 Task 2

  1. What are the key findings of the study?  The key findings that I thought were important were:
    • The researchers’ hypothesis was correct that “the ‘no picture’ condition produced frequencies between those for the two main picture conditions (low & high frequency)” (pg. 263).  At this point, I don’t have any thoughts or feelings one way or the other on that.  It is interesting and I will think about it.  On the surface, it seems like the “no picture” condition is the control since it is theoretically neither encouraging nor discouraging an answer.
    • Contrary to the researchers’ prediction, “the condition that included both images did not consistently yield the highest levels of reporting” (pg. 263).  This gives the impression that pictures in general are not encouraging and do not direct the user toward an answer.
  2. What do you think about the conclusion of the article regarding the use of images in online surveys?
    • Given the second point above, I found this statement surprising: “We find no evidence that images boost respondents’ motivation to complete surveys [and] we suggest caution in adding such visual embellishments” (pg. 264).*  Surely, this statement is not fully derived from the second bullet point above.  Just because the two-picture condition didn’t produce the highest yield of reporting does not mean that images do not boost respondents’ motivation to complete surveys.  Simply writing and reading the preceding sentence should be evidence enough!  (So many negatives and double negatives = poor logic)  Furthermore, I don’t understand why the researchers then caution us and encourage us to avoid adding visual embellishments because of the lack of evidence. Perhaps I am picking too much on one sentence in the article but it is an important sentence!
    • *Note: What comes after that statement in the same paragraph is good fodder for discussion but does not seem to follow the actual results/points preceding that paragraph/point.
  3. How would you see the benefits and risks of embedding video in online research?
    • Risk: Similar to including pictures in surveys, “we should be sure to choose those pictures (and videos) with great care” (pg. 265).  The risk is that we may not know how the video might influence the respondent.
    • Benefit: Although I did not publish an article and have no evidence to back this point up, I disagree with Couper that there is “no evidence that images boost respondents’ motivation to complete surveys” (pg. 264).  Simply because of the popularity of YouTube and my own impression of America’s addiction with entertainment, I have to believe that embedding a video makes a survey feel more like entertainment to the user than “work.”  Whether or not that will keep the user attentive…
    • Risk: Technology glitch and the video doesn’t load or load slow causes frustration.
    • Risk: The user’s attention is pulled away from the survey and more toward the entertainment of the video.
    • Benefit: The video might include “task elements” (pg. 256) like -
      • clarification on question wording
      • clarification on response options
      • any or further instructions
      • navigational clues
    • Benefit: The video might include “style elements” (pg. 257) like -
      • increasing the look and feel
      • streamlining the layout
      • improving aesthetics (enhancing the color scheme)
      • branding
    • Benefit: Like Schwarz showed, “although the survey designer may view a [video] as stylistic, respondents may see it as relevant to the tasks of understanding and answering the questions” (pg. 257)