Exploring the Semantic Validity of Questionnaire Scales

Many behavioral researchers have been or are currently engaged in survey research, analyzing results using statistical methods. Respondents are often asked to fill out questionnaires leading to questionnaire fatigue and reluctance to conscientiously respond. Furthermore, in spite of the popularity of the approach, serious unanswered questions remain about what questionnaires actually measure. To answer these questions, this paper ventures into a new area of inquiry within survey research, providing a semantic analysis of questionnaires. In so doing we diverge from traditional survey validity measures, and offer a cutting edge approach to questionnaire validation with important contributions to future research.