Open-Ended Questions

My survey proved my initial thought that each of my classmates feels a certain level of stress on a weekly basis. I wasn't very surprised to see that nearly everyone who responded fell into the mid-range frequency levels. Each respondent had at least one part-time job (sometimes two), while an even number have full-time employment. A majority have reported having a spouse or partner, but only one has children which surprised me. As far as coping mechanisms my audience ran the gamut with the major ones being sleeping, eating, and alcohol. Survey takers report that the majority are affected with irritability, tiredness, and headaches. I wasn't surprised at all to learn that the biggest causes of stress are money and school.

The survey was an extremely useful tool in gaining insight into my audience. It is possible that some open-ended questions might have been worthy to add to my survey; however, I was concerned if I didn't narrow down the choices that I would have a hard time writing my speech with enough focus. I see now that open-ended questions are valuable in that it allows audience members to expand on a question and respond in their own words. I think these types of questions also would allow me to evaluate my audiences’ education level and possibly their economic and social status. …show more content…
I would use the survey data to find other constructive outlets for stress that some of my audience members may not have tried before, such as meditation. Since money and school are the major sources of stress, I could provide resources for these areas in a handout in advance which my audience could follow along with and take with them