| Abstract: | Survey analysts frequently know little about the validity oftheir questions. They often have no direct evidence that respondentsunderstand the questions being posed and that shared understandingexists between the analyst and the respondent. Using the ‘randomprobe’ technique developed by Howard Schuman, about 30questions from the 1984 General Social Survey are examined.Overall there appears to be few validity problems with thesequestions, but some alternative understandings and problemsare examined. The random probes also can be used to gain substantiveinsight into the issue under investigation and their value inthis area is illustrated. |
