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The methodological roots of survey research can be traced back to English and American social surveys from the turn of the $$20$$th century, which aimed to systematically document widespread social issues such as poverty. In the $$1930$$s, the methodology progressed significantly as the United States government initiated nationwide surveys to assess social and economic conditions. The necessity to draw accurate inferences about the entire population from these surveys spurred crucial advancements in sampling techniques.

Origins of Survey Research

Following its success in election polling and market research, survey methodology expanded into academic fields like sociology and public health before becoming prominent in psychology during the $$1930$$s. Psychologists advanced questionnaire design by developing tools like the Likert scale and applied survey methods to study social psychological phenomena such as attitudes, prejudice, and stereotypes. Furthermore, early attitude researchers pioneered the use of larger and more diverse samples, moving beyond the convenience samples of university students that were typically used in the field.

Early Applications of Survey Research in Psychology

A straw poll is a type of survey. For example, during the 1936 presidential election, the Literary Digest conducted a straw poll by distributing ballots, which also functioned as subscription requests, to millions of Americans in an attempt to predict the election's outcome.

Straw Poll

The 1936 Literary Digest straw poll was a survey conducted to predict the outcome of the presidential election between Alf Landon and Franklin Roosevelt. The magazine attempted to forecast the results by sending ballots, which were also subscription requests, to millions of Americans. Based on this method, the editors incorrectly predicted that Landon would win in a landslide.

1936 Literary Digest Straw Poll

What crucial methodological advancement was directly spurred by the need to draw accurate inferences about the entire population from nationwide government surveys in the 1930s?

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