Polls and Opinion Surveys

Code:

LPSI322

Acronym:

SEO

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Psychology

Instance: 2024/2025 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	First degree in Psychology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
LPSIC	35	Official Curricular Structure	3	-	3	27	81

Teaching language

Portuguese
Obs.: Obs.: Português com informação adicional em Inglês

Objectives

At the end of the sessions, students should:

• Understand the definitions of polls and public opinion, as well as the key ideas and determining factors for public opinion.
• Know the main theoretical approaches to predictors of electoral behaviour.
• Understand sampling processes, information collection methods, sources of errors, and respondent selection methods.
• Design sampling studies and construct questionnaires.
• Critically evaluate the technical parameters of a poll and interpret poll results, considering the method of distributing undecided respondents.
• Apply methods of inference for proportions and means and tests for differences.
• Calculate the appropriate sample size for inference of means and proportions.
• Analyze survey data: multivariate statistics as a decision-making tool.
• Understand the potentialities and limitations of tracking polls, survey experiments, and conjoint surveys.

Learning outcomes and competences

This curricular unit aims to contribute to training in opinion polls and studies, enabling students to design, plan, and interpret them.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

NA

Program

• Public opinion: definitions and key ideas, importance, and determinants.


• Definition and origin of polls in Portugal.


• Explanatory models of electoral behaviour.


• Sampling processes, respondent selection, information collection methods, sources of error, and quality control of collected information.


• Questionnaire construction.


• Evaluation of the parameters in poll technical sheets.


• Point and interval inference for means and proportions.


• Tests of differences between proportions for one, paired, and independent samples.


• CP9. Study design and determination of sample size.


• Linear and Logistic Regression Models for explaining phenomena.


• Tracking polls, Survey experiments, and Conjoint surveys.

Mandatory literature

Atkenson, L. R. & Alvarez R. M.; The Oxford Handbook of Polling and Survey Methods. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018
Berinsky, A. J.; Measuring public opinion with surveys. Annual review of political science, 20(1), 309-329., 2017
Groves, R. M., Fowler, F. J., Couper, M. P., Lepkowski, J. M., Singer, E., & Tourangeau, R. ; Survey Methodology 2nd ed., Hoboken, N.J.: John Willey & Sons, 2009
Lyberg, L.; Survey quality. Survey Methodology, 38(2)., 2012
Magalhães, P. ; Sondagens, Eleições e Opinião Pública. Lisboa, Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos., 2011
Hill, M.M. & Hill, A ; Investigação por questionário. Lisboa: Edições Sílabo., 2000
Santo, P. E. ; Sociologia Política e Eleitoral – modelos e explicações de voto (2ª ed). Lisboa: Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas., 2011
Traugott, M. W., & Donsbach, W.; The SAGE Handbook of Public Opinion Research. London: SAGE Publications Ltd., 2008
Vicente, P., Reis, E. & Ferrão, F. ; Sondagens – A amostragem como factor decisivo de qualidade (2ª ed). Lisboa: Edições Sílabo, Lda., 2001
Vicente, P. A.; Estudos de mercado e de opinião: princípios e aplicações de amostragem. Lisboa, Edições Sílabo., 2012

Teaching methods and learning activities

The teaching and learning methodologies aim at student-centred practices through self-learning processes and methods of group discussion and debate in an interactive environment with a significant formative feedback component. Thus, the proposed teaching methodology is both theoretical and practical. Presentations and interactive tools will support the theoretical exposition. At the same time, the practical component is expected to occur mainly through case studies and critical analyses based on real data, aiming to promote reflection on the technical quality of polls and their methodological implications.

Using e-learning platforms complements face-to-face teaching, offering greater flexibility and autonomy in the learning process.

Software

JAMOVI
IBM SPSS Statistics

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	10,00
Exame	90,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	53,00
Frequência das aulas	28,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

Attendance at least 75% of the scheduled classes.

Calculation formula of final grade

The assessment covers the following components:

C - Knowledge (90%): Written exam covering all the curricular unit's objectives.

A - Attitude (10%): Attitudes and professionalism assessed through an evaluation grid, with an individual record of participation and involvement in classroom activities.

To pass the curricular unit, the student must obtain a minimum final grade (CF) of:

1. Eight points in each of the assessment components;
2. 10 points in combining the two assessment components (CF=0.9C+0.1A; point 2, Article 4 of the General Regulation for the Evaluation of Students at FPCEUP).

Grades for each component and the final grade will be communicated to students on a scale from 0 to 20 points.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Exceptional assessment conditions may be considered for students with special status. To do so, students must contact the teacher directly, no later than one month after the date announced in the school calendar for the start of teaching activities.

Classification improvement

The improvement is made only for the final exam, and the classification of the “A – Attitude” component is maintained.