Factorial Survey: Benefits, Applications and Practical Guidelines

Abstract

The article focuses on the application of the factorial survey design to social- psychological studies. The factorial survey is an experimental technique that allows testing hypotheses about causal relations. The key advantages of factorial survey are (1) higher external validity compared to classical laboratory experiments, (2) lower susceptibility to social desirability effects compared to classical survey approach, and (3) its ability to detect implicit determinants of social perception. Nevertheless, facto- rial survey design is rarely used in psychology. This work gives an introduction to the factorial survey design, describes its benefits and areas of application. Moreover, it gives practical guidelines on how to plan, conduct, and analyze the results of a factorial survey study, accompanied by examples from our own research. The research was supported within the framework of the Program for Basic Research of National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) in 2014- 2015.