Chapter 11—Questionnaire Design
TRUE/FALSE
1. For a questionnaire to fulfill a researcher’s purposes, the questions must meet the basic criteria of
relevance and accuracy.
2. A questionnaire is accurate to the extent that no unnecessary information is collected in order to solve
the marketing problem under study.
3. Accuracy means that the information collected from a questionnaire is valid.
4. There is no step-by-step procedure for ensuring accuracy in question writing that can be generalized
across projects.
5. Question wording and sequence can substantially influence accuracy.
6. Open-ended response questions give respondents a large number of specific alternative responses.
7. Open-ended response questions are frequently used in causal research.
8. Open-ended response questions are valuable at the beginning of personal interview sessions.
9. The cost of administering open-ended questions is much higher than that of administering
fixed-alternative questions.
10. One advantage of open-ended response questions is the possibility that interviewer bias will affect the
results.
11. It is best to use open-ended questions when the sampling frame consists of respondents with varying
levels of education.
12. Fixed-alternative questions require more interviewer skill to administer than open-ended response
questions.
13. A fixed-alternative question is better than an open-ended question because it reduces the possibility of
respondents giving socially-desirable answers.
14. A frequency-determination question allows the respondent to provide multiple answers to a single
question.
15. Surveys used in telephone interviews should be written in a conversational style.
16. A loaded question is one that is very long and taxing on respondents.
17. A counterbiasing technique is used with the expectation that two alternative phrasings of the same
question will yield a more accurate total response than will a single phrasing.
18. A question covering several issues at once is referred to as a leading question.
19. Two consequences of respondents’ forgetting the exact details of their behavior are called telescoping
and squishing.
20. Order bias in questionnaire design frequently occurs when broader questions are asked before specific
issues are explored.
21. Asking general questions before specific questions in order to obtain unbiased responses is called
telescoping.
22. A knock-out means the respondent stops answering questions resulting in an incomplete survey.
23. The question, “Did you watch the Super Bowl?” on a survey about Super Bowl advertising effects is
an example of a funneling question.
24. A multiple-grid question includes several questions of the same format all arranged in a grid format.
25. A heat map question is used in geographical positioning studies.
26. A status bar in an Internet survey gives respondents an indication of questionnaire length.
27. Survey technology can force respondents to answer questions by not allowing them to continue
through the survey until they provide an answer.
28. Funneling software allows question answers from previous questions to be inserted into later questions
in an Internet survey.
29. Pretests require statistical samples for them to provide meaningful information to researchers.
30. Preliminary tabulations from pretests can provide meaningful information to researchers.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following refers to the extent that all information collected in a questionnaire addresses a
research question that will help the decision maker address the current marketing problem?
a.
relevant
b.
accuracy
c.
frequency
d.
counterbalanced
2. A questionnaire that collects information that is valid is said to be _____.
a.
relevant
b.
accurate
c.
counterbalanced
d.
balanced
3. A question that poses some problem or topic and asks respondents to answer in their own words is
called a(n) _____.
a.
sentence completion question
b.
unbalanced question
c.
fixed-alternative question
d.
open-ended question
4. “Name five brands of toothpaste” is an example of what type of question?
a.
fixed-alternative
b.
pivot
c.
open-ended response
d.
filter
5. Another term for fixed-alternative questions is ______ questions.
a.
open-ended response
b.
closed-ended
c.
pivot
d.
concise
6. “What is your gender? ______ M ______ F” is an example of what type of question?
a.
loaded
b.
leading
c.
fixed-alternative
d.
bipolar
7. All of the following are disadvantages of open-ended response questions EXCEPT _____.
a.
cost is usually higher than that of administering fixed-alternative questions
b.
possibility of interviewer bias
c.
the information provided by responses is not useful to decision makers
d.
articulate individuals give a large share of the responses but they may not be
representative of the entire population
8. Compared to open-ended response questions, fixed-alternative questions _____.
a.
require less interviewer skill
b.
take less time
c.
are easier for the respondent to answer
d.
all of these choices
9. Which type of question requires the respondent to choose one of two alternatives?
a.
simple-dichotomy
b.
bipolar
c.
dual-coded
d.
checklist
10. “Do you own a cell phone? ______ Yes ______ No” is an example of what type of question?
a.
leading
b.
simple-dichotomy
c.
loaded
d.
open-ended response
11. Questions that require respondents to choose one and only one response from among several possible
alternatives are called _____ questions.
a.
checklist
b.
multiple-choice
c.
forced
d.
determinant
12. Which of the following is a multiple-choice question that asks for an answer about the general
frequency of occurrence of some phenomenon?
a.
simply-dichotomy question
b.
checklist question
c.
time-bound question
d.
frequency-determination question
13. What type of question is the following?
Which of the following services of the United Missouri Bank, besides your personal
checking account, do you currently use? (check all that apply)
______ Savings account
______ Car loan
______ Home mortgage loan
a.
pivot question
b.
filter question
c.
checklist question
d.
counterbalancing question
14. Dichotomous or multiple-choice alternatives in fixed-alternative questions should not have overlap
among categories, which means the categories should be _____.
a.
exhaustive
b.
mutually exclusive
c.
positively worded
d.
balanced
15. All of the following are guidelines that help prevent the most common mistakes in designing questions
EXCEPT _____.
a.
avoid personal questions
b.
avoid complexity
c.
avoid leading questions
d.
avoid double-barreled questions
16. A(n) _____ question suggests or implies certain answers.
a.
loaded
b.
leading
c.
filter
d.
double-barreled
17. “What is your favorite hobby, playing video games, or what?” is an example of what type of question?
a.
loaded
b.
pivot
c.
filter
d.
leading
18. Which type of question suggests a socially desirable answer or is emotionally charged?
a.
leading question
b.
biased question
c.
loaded question
d.
slanted question
19. “In light of the current economic crisis, do you agree or disagree that the President of the United States
is doing a good job of managing the economy?” is an example of what type of question?
a.
counterbalancing
b.
order bias
c.
double-barreled
d.
loaded
20. An introductory statement or preamble to a potentially embarrassing question that reduces a
respondent’s reluctance to answer by suggesting that certain behavior is not unusual is called a _____.
a.
filter question
b.
lead-in statement
c.
split-ballot question
d.
counterbiasing statement
21. Which of the following uses two alternative phrasings of the same question for respective halves of a
sample to elicit a more accurate total response than would a single phrasing?
a.
split-ballot technique
b.
split-half reliability
c.
counterbalancing method
d.
double-barreled questioning
22. When half of the respondents are asked to agree or disagree with the statement: “Foreign cars are
better made than cars made in the U.S.” while the other half of the respondents are asked to agree or
disagree with the statement: “Cars made in the U.S. are better made than foreign cars,” this is an
example of using a _____.
a.
pivot question
b.
filter question
c.
double-barreled question
d.
split-ballot technique
23. A question that may induce bias because it covers more than one issue at once is called a(n) _____.
a.
complex question
b.
double-barreled question
c.
counterbiasing question
d.
loaded question
24. “Do you agree or disagree with the statement: The Federal Reserve Bank and the large U.S. banks are
responsible for the high foreclosures on home mortgages” is an example of what type of question?
a.
counterbiasing
b.
open-ended response
c.
counterbalancing
d.
double-barreled
25. “Should Dillard’s keep its excellent department store credit card program? ______ Yes ______ No” is
an example of _____.
a.
using a pivot question
b.
making assumptions
c.
a double-barreled question
d.
using a checklist
26. Asking respondents to remember something without providing any clue is called _____.
a.
unaided recall
b.
aided recall
c.
recognition
d.
cognitive retrieval
27. Which format asks a respondent to remember something and gives them a clue to help?
a.
cue-based
b.
recognition
c.
cognitive assistance
d.
aided recall
28. Which of the following occurs when respondents believe that past events happened more recently than
they actually did?
a.
telescoping
b.
squishing
c.
myopic remembering
d.
zooming
29. Sammy told a researcher that she has lived in her current house for two years, but in reality, she has
lived there for more than five years. Sammy’s thinking that moving into her home happened more
recently than it actually did is an example of _____.
a.
cognitive distortion
b.
telescoping
c.
selective bias
d.
bias
30. When respondents think that recent events took place longer ago than they really did, this is called
_____.
a.
telescoping
b.
squishing
c.
faltering
d.
misredemption
31. Which of the following results when a particular sequencing of questions affects the way a person
responds or when the choices provided as answers favors one response over another?
a.
squishing
b.
telescoping
c.
sequencing effect
d.
order bias
32. In political elections for candidates who are not well-known by many voters, such as judges, it
frequently happens that the candidate who is listed first on the ballot receives the most votes, this is an
example of a(n) _____.
a.
Hawthorne effect
b.
self-fulfilling prophecy
c.
order bias
d.
split-ballot technique
33. When a respondent in a personal interview is asked questions about shopping at a specific department
store in the shopping mall, and then is asked general questions about shopping at that mall, what type
of mistake has been made in questionnaire design?
a.
filter effect
b.
order bias
c.
double-barreled effect
d.
loaded effect
34. Which technique recommends asking general questions before specific questions in order to obtain
unbiased responses?
a.
skip logic technique
b.
telescoping
c.
squishing
d.
funnel technique
35. The idea that the first concept measured on a questionnaire frequently becomes a comparison point
from which subsequent questions are evaluated by the respondents, is known as a(n) _____.
a.
loaded effect
b.
filter effect
c.
pretest effect
d.
anchoring effect
36. Which of the following involves randomly assigning respondents to answer either the question of
interest (embarrassing) or a mundane and unembarrassing question?
a.
randomized response techniques
b.
randomized branching techniques
c.
randomized piping techniques
d.
randomized filtering techniques
37. Survey _____ refers to the ordering of questions through a survey.
a.
flow
b.
sequence
c.
layout
d.
format
38. A(n) _____ means the respondent stops answering questions resulting in an incomplete survey.
a.
termination
b.
abandonment
c.
breakoff
d.
orphan
39. Two researchers used an Internet survey that takes respondents about 45 minutes to complete. They
had a large percentage of respondents that simply just stopped doing the questionnaire, resulting in a
large number of incomplete surveys. The respondents who stopped are referred to as _____.
a.
drop-outs
b.
orphans
c.
break-offs
d.
run-aways
40. A question that screens out respondents who are not qualified to answer a second question is called a
_____ question.
a.
preliminary
b.
filter
c.
qualifying
d.
sequencing
41. A question such as: “Have you ever received a speeding ticket? ______ Yes ______ No,” when
followed by a question such as: “When did you receive that ticket?” is an example of what type of
question?
a.
double-barreled
b.
leading
c.
filter
d.
anchoring
42. The term used to describe directing respondents to alternative portions of the questionnaire based on
their response to a filter question is _____.
a.
piping
b.
branching
c.
splitting
d.
directing
43. Which type of question conserves space on a questionnaire?
a.
pivot question
b.
funnel question
c.
multi-faceted question
d.
multiple-grid question
44. If a researcher is interested in which parts of an advertisement catches respondents’ attention the most,
which of the following would be useful?
a.
branching question
b.
filtering question
c.
status bar
d.
heat map question
45. A bar at the top of the page in an Internet survey that indicates how much of the survey still needs to
be completed is known as what type of bar?
a.
drop-down
b.
radio
c.
push
d.
status
46. Which of the following informs the respondent that he or she has skipped an item or provided
implausible information?
a.
filtering
b.
prompting
c.
status bar
d.
piping software
47. Which of the following allows variables, such as answers from previous questions, to be inserted into
unfolding questions on Internet surveys?
a.
piping software
b.
interactive software
c.
error trapping software
d.
funneling software
48. A tabulation of the results of a pretest to help determine whether the questionnaire will meet the
objectives of the research is referred to as _____.
a.
preliminary tabulation
b.
primary tabulation
c.
initial tabulation
d.
back translation
49. _____ is the process of taking a questionnaire that has previously been translated into another language
and having a second, independent translator translate it back to the original language.
a.
Back translation
b.
Filtering
c.
Linguistic verification
d.
Reliability
50. When “Out of sight, out of mind” was translated into a foreign language, and then was translated back
into English by a language expert in that language to become: “Invisible things are insane,” this was an
example of _____.
a.
the linguistic effect
b.
a loaded question
c.
back translation
d.
a counterbiasing statement
COMPLETION
1. A questionnaire is _____ to the extent that all information collected addresses a research question and
helps a decision maker address a current marketing problem.
2. A question in which the respondent is given a list of possible responses and is asked to choose one of
them is an example of a(n) ______ question.
3. A fixed-alternative question in which the respondent is asked to check either “ _____ Yes or _____
No” is an example of a(n) ______ question.
4. A fixed-alternative question which lists ten possible services that could be provided by a local bank
and asks respondents to check as many as apply to the question: “Which of the following banking
services do you currently use for First City Bank?” is an example of a(n) ______ question.
5. Questions that suggest or imply a certain answer are called ______ questions.
6. A question that is written in such a way that it arouses strong emotion in the respondent is called a(n)
_____ question.
7. An introductory statement or preamble to a potentially embarrassing question that reduces a
respondent’s reluctance to answer by suggesting that certain behavior is not unusual is called a(n)
_____ statement.
8. A question that is written in such a way that it really asks two questions at the same time (e.g. two
separate ideas separated by “and”) is called a(n) ______ question.
9. When the respondent’s answers to previous questions in a questionnaire create a bias in his or her
answers to later questions, this is known as ______ bias.
10. In a personal interview, asking general questions before asking specific questions in order to create
less bias in the responses is known as the ______ technique.
11. A question that “screens out” respondents because they do not qualify to answer a subsequent question
(e.g. “Do you own a DVD player?”) is called a(n) ______ question.
12. A respondent who quits taking a survey resulting in an incomplete survey is called a(n) _____.
13. A graphical question that tracks the parts of an image that most captures a respondent’s attention is
called a(n) _____ question.
14. _____ software allows question answers to be inserted into later questions.
15. The process of taking a questionnaire that has previously been translated from one language to another
and having it translated back again by a second, independent translator is called _____.
ESSAY
1. List the six key decisions in questionnaire design.
2. Compare and contrast open-ended and fixed-alternative questions and give an example of each.
3. Name and define the primary types of fixed-alternative questions.
4. A researcher is conducting a study on attitudes toward and the prevalence of drinking and driving
among teens and young adults and is concerned that respondents will be reluctant to answer honestly.
Discuss how the researcher can ask questions that will more likely lead to honest answers among
respondents.
ANS:
5. Discuss factors to consider when determining the order of questions on a questionnaire.
6. Discuss the features of self-administered Internet surveys.