Final answer:
An instrument used to measure a particular variable of interest through a series of questions is known as a questionnaire or survey. Surveys are widely used in social sciences to gather standardized data and understand behaviors, opinions, or demographic trends.
Step-by-step explanation:
A questionnaire, survey, test, or other method of data collection that is used to measure a particular variable of interest is known as an instrument. Researchers in the social sciences frequently employ instruments like surveys to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a large number of individuals or groups. Surveys, which can be structured as interviews or questionnaires, are designed to collect standardized data that reveal attitudes, beliefs, or habits across different segments of the population.
Surveys are considered a common research method in fields such as psychology and sociology. An example of a survey on a large scale is the U.S. Census, which serves as a means to gather sociological data about the resident demographics in the United States. Surveys often present respondents with closed-ended questions, such as yes-or-no or multiple-choice formats that facilitate the aggregation and analysis of data in numerical form. This structured approach enhances the ease of tabulating the responses and interpreting the results to draw meaningful conclusions.
When creating a questionnaire, researchers develop a set of questions that may pertain to behaviors, opinions, or demographic information. It is essential for researchers to clearly communicate the purpose of the study to the participants and to offer confidentiality or anonymity to encourage honest and accurate responses. Upon completion, the collected data, which comes in the form of data observations, can be counted, statistically analyzed, and used to test hypotheses or understand societal trends.