Cognitive aspects of survey methodology: the method of immediate validation

The dissertation summarizes outputs of authors` research of cognitive aspects of survey methodology at the level of their theory as well as of their practical usage. On the one hand is the field of cognitive approaches elaborated systematically on the other the contribution to them is made by own Immediate validation technique. As a lead-in cognitive approaches are put into the frame of survey error that links the standardized questioning theory with general context of survey quality. Following chapters inform about historical sources and basis of cognitive approaches, their fundamental theoretical conceptions and methodological tools. Finally their whole standing in contemporary survey methodology is evaluated. The main attention is devoted to the situation of interviewing that is understood as dualistic: cognitive aspects [information processing and answering process] as well as interactional aspects [social encounter of interviewer/researcher and respondent] are defined and characterized. The course of cognitive processes is defined in accord with prevailing psychological concepts and explication of effects influencing mental processes of respondents and their answering proceeds with the logic: interpretation of a question, retrieval of information from memory, formulating the judgement and formatting..