Situace standardizovaného dotazování z hlediska kognitivních přístupů

The article focuses on an analysis of the situation in which information
is obtained from respondents in questionnaire surveys. From the perspective
of the cognitive aspects of survey methodology the article takes a complex
view of this situation and applies theoretical concepts and empirical evidence
in order to explain the close connection between the interview situation and
the quality of the information obtained. The interview situation is portrayed
in its twofold form: personal aspects (the mental operations of respondents)
and social aspects (the interaction and communication between the interviewer
and the respondent). The analysis of the interactive aspects of the interview
situation draws attention to the rules of standard communication, which interfere
with the ordinary concept of the standardised interview and the course of
mental processes. The cognitive aspect of responding to questions is analysed
from the perspective of the wider understanding of context effects, the author
refers to the most important theoretical concepts relating to individual effects
and empirical evidence of some effects that infl uence the response process.
The article takes a somewhat untypical approach to some aspects of data collection
in questionnaire surveys and into the Czech context introduces the
cognitive aspects of the methodology of questionnaire surveys.