CRE CRE Survey Design & Questionnaire Development 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of question should be used when you want respondents to rate their satisfaction on a 1–5 scale?
- Open-ended question
- Dichotomous question
- Likert scale question (Correct answer)
- Filter question
Correct answer: Likert scale question
A Likert scale question captures degree of agreement or satisfaction across a defined range of response options.
Question 2: What is 'double-barreled' question bias in survey design?
- Asking the same question twice
- Asking two separate issues in one question (Correct answer)
- Using leading language
- Providing too many response options
Correct answer: Asking two separate issues in one question
A double-barreled question asks about two distinct issues simultaneously, making it impossible for respondents to answer accurately.
Question 3: In survey research, what is the primary purpose of a pilot test?
- To reduce the sample size
- To identify unclear or problematic questions before full deployment (Correct answer)
- To increase survey length
- To select the target population
Correct answer: To identify unclear or problematic questions before full deployment
A pilot test reveals ambiguous wording, technical issues, and respondent confusion before the survey is distributed widely.
Question 4: Which response scale option is used to allow respondents to indicate they have no opinion?
- Forced choice
- Neutral/Neither option (Correct answer)
- Dichotomous response
- Ranking scale
Correct answer: Neutral/Neither option
Including a 'Neutral' or 'Neither' midpoint lets respondents accurately reflect genuine indifference rather than guessing.
Question 5: What does question sequencing in survey design primarily affect?
- Cost of data analysis
- Respondent bias and drop-off rates (Correct answer)
- Sampling frame accuracy
- Statistical significance
Correct answer: Respondent bias and drop-off rates
The order of questions can prime respondents' thinking, influence answers to subsequent items, and affect whether they complete the survey.
Question 6: When designing a questionnaire for a US national study, why is it important to pre-test across diverse demographic groups?
- To reduce printing costs
- To ensure questions are understood consistently across different subpopulations (Correct answer)
- To increase response rate targets
- To satisfy IRB timelines
Correct answer: To ensure questions are understood consistently across different subpopulations
Language, cultural references, and literacy levels vary across demographics, so pre-testing ensures questions are universally clear and unbiased.
Which type of question should be used when you want respondents to rate their satisfaction on a 1–5 scale?