Construct

In the context of survey research, a construct is the abstract idea, underlying theme, or subject matter that one wishes to measure using survey questions. Some constructs are relatively simple (like political party affiliation) and can be measured using only one or a few questions, while other constructs are more complex (such as employee satisfaction) and may require [Page 134]a whole battery of questions to fully operationalize the construct to suit the end user's needs. Complex constructs contain multiple dimensions or facets that are bound together by some commonality that, as a whole, compose the construct. Without clearly conceptualizing the construct's dimensions and the common theme binding the dimensions together, the survey developer runs the risk of either creating a set of questions that does ...