Factorial Survey Experiments (Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences)

Filling a gap in the literature of the field Factorial Survey Experiments provides researchers with a practical guide to using the factorial survey method to assess respondents beliefs about the world judgment principles or decision rules through multi dimensional stimuli vignettes that resemble real life decision making situations Using insightful examples to illustrate their arguments authors Katrin Auspurg and Thomas Hinz guide researchers through all relevant steps including how to set up the factorial experimental design drawing samples of vignettes and respondents how to handle the practical challenges that must be mastered when an experimental plan with many different treatments is embedded in a survey format and how to deal with questions of data analysis In addition to providing the how tos of designing factorial survey experiments the authors cover recent developments of similar methods such as conjoint analyses choice experiments and more advanced statistical tools The factorial survey method is well established in the social sciences as a method of assessing respondents beliefs about the world judgment principles or decision rules Instead of single item questions respondents are confronted with multi dimensional stimuli vignettes that resemble real life judgments or decision making situations Within these vignettes attributes are experimentally varied in their values This method enables the researcher to combine the advantages of experimental designs and surveys