As you have probably already guessed, asking people questions can be immensely valuable for gaining insight and information into various questions, puzzles, and problems that may exist in your community. Another type of survey, the behavioral survey, asks people to respond to questions about certain actions, or behaviors, that affect their physical, emotional, or mental well-being. These behaviors might include cigarette use, unprotected sexual activity, or habits that might increase the chance for cardiovascular diseases. Consequently, the surveys must be taken as self-reports. That is, your group should recognize that the results will be subjective accounts of individual actions.
Behavioral surveys provide information that is crucial to the success of the initiative.
Behavioral surveys help clear up these questions by providing you with data that can help you move in the right direction towards improving your community. Also, the data you receive from these surveys can be used to push the issue to the forefront of public awareness. Maybe individuals in your community don't know that a large percentage of the seventh-graders at the local junior high school smoke at least one cigarette each day. Seeing this kind of information on paper and supported by numbers may give it the validity that will convince more people of the need for change. The behavioral survey is an excellent way to obtain this kind of evidence.