Matthew Tyler, an assistant professor of political science at Rice University, is working to advance statistical methods aimed at strengthening the accuracy and reliability of survey-based research.
Through a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Tyler will address a long-standing challenge in the field of survey methodology: satisficing. This occurs when respondents take mental shortcuts and provide answers without fully engaging with the questions — a common issue that can compromise the quality of data used across disciplines, including the social sciences, public health, economics and education.
“Surveys play a central role in how we measure attitudes, understand public opinion and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and policies,” Tyler said. “But if the responses are flawed, so are the conclusions. My work focuses on developing tools that help researchers and policymakers get closer to the truth.”
While many researchers have implemented stopgap measures like attention checks or screeners to try to identify satisficing, these approaches often lack grounding in statistical theory. Tyler’s project aims to replace these quick fixes with a rigorous, theory-driven framework.
Drawing on techniques from statistics, causal inference and convex optimization, Tyler will develop new statistical estimators that are more robust to measurement error. The research will provide novel tools that improve precision in common survey formats such as panel studies and survey experiments, where response bias can be particularly difficult to detect.
In addition to producing new theory, methodology, algorithms and open-source software, the $400,000 grant also supports a robust educational component. Tyler will develop short courses, mentor undergraduate researchers and create software packages that make cutting-edge survey tools more widely accessible to the academic and research communities.
“I’m grateful to the NSF for supporting this project,” Tyler said. “This grant will allow me to push the boundaries of statistical methods in a way that improves how we collect and interpret survey data and help train the next generation of researchers along the way.”
The NSF CAREER Award is one of the foundation’s most prestigious honors, recognizing early career faculty with the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education.