Cognitive Aspects of Survey Methodology (CASM)

The cognitive aspects of survey methodology (CASM) is the interdisciplinary science involving the intersection of cognitive psychology and survey methods. CASM research endeavors to determine how mental information processing by respondents influences the survey response process and ultimately the quality of data obtained through self-report (or by proxy). CASM is mainly concerned with the study of response tendencies involving questionnaire data collection, but it can be more broadly defined as involving any aspect of survey-related mental processing, including respondent perceptions of survey interviewers and the survey introductions they use, the effects of administration mode (paper, telephone, computer), or responses to private or otherwise sensitive topics.