Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Using factorial survey experiments to measure attitudes, social norms, and fairness concerns in developing countries

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Liebe, Ulf, Moumouni, Ismaïl M., Bigler, Christine, Ingabire, Chantal and Bieri, Sabin (2020) Using factorial survey experiments to measure attitudes, social norms, and fairness concerns in developing countries. Sociological Methods & Research, 49 (1). pp. 161-192. doi:10.1177/0049124117729707

[img]
Preview
PDF
WRAP-using-factorial-survey-social-fairness-countries-Liebe-2018.pdf - Accepted Version - Requires a PDF viewer.

Download (810Kb) | Preview
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0049124117729707

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

Survey-based experimental methods are increasingly used in the social sciences to study, among others, attitudes, norms, and fairness judgments. One of these methods is the factorial survey experiment (FSE or vignette experiment) in which respondents are confronted with various descriptions of situations that differ in a discrete number of attributes (or factors), and they are asked to evaluate those situations according to criteria such as agreement, approval, and fairness. Due to the systematic experimental variation of the presented situations, an FSE can separate effects of single situational attributes, allowing the causal influence of relevant situational attributes to be determined. This is the key advantage over simple survey items. While most studies using FSEs are carried out in developed countries in which respondents are familiar with surveys, we add further evidence that this method can also unfold its power in a developing context. Building on previous applications of FSEs in Africa, we demonstrate the usefulness of this method in four novel studies on social norms regarding the physical punishment of children and the social approval of technology adoption in Benin as well as judgments of just earnings in Rwanda. We also test for the first time the applicability of multiple vignettes per respondents in a Global South/remote area context. The results of these studies are theoretically meaningful and the overwhelming majority of respondents discriminate between vignettes. This supports the validity of FSEs. However, conducting survey experiments in developing countries is different from similar experimental research in developed countries and, therefore, we also discuss some of these differences and corresponding challenges. Last but not least, our article shows, provided a few precautions are heeded, that FSEs could be used as a vehicle to innovate social science research in a Global South/remote area context.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Sociology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Social sciences -- Research -- Methodology, Corporal punishment of children, Technology -- Social aspects, Wages, Developing countries
Journal or Publication Title: Sociological Methods & Research
Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd.
ISSN: 0049-1241
Official Date: 1 February 2020
Dates:
DateEvent
1 February 2020Published
8 October 2017Available
16 April 2017Accepted
Volume: 49
Number: 1
Page Range: pp. 161-192
DOI: 10.1177/0049124117729707
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Reuse Statement (publisher, data, author rights): Liebe, U., M., I., Bigler, C., Ingabire, C., & Bieri, S. (2017). Using Factorial Survey Experiments to Measure Attitudes, Social Norms, and Fairness Concerns in Developing Countries. Sociological Methods & Research. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124117729707
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us