Web Survey Bibliography
In this paper, we show that in Web questionnaires verbal and visual languages can be used to create groups and subgroups of information, which influence how respondents process Web questionnaires. Following Schwarz (1996; and also Schwarz, Grayson, & Knäuper, 1998) we argue that respondents act as cooperative communicators who use formal features of the questionnaire to help guide them through the survey conversation. Using data from three Web surveys of random samples of Washington State University undergraduates, we found that when response options are placed in close graphical proximity to each other and separated from other options, respondents perceive visual subgroups of the categories, increasing the likelihood that they select an answer from each subgroup. We also found that graphical proximity creates subgroups with and without the use of category heading to describe the subgroups and that the addition of a verbal instruction to “please select the best answer” encouraged respondents to select one answer from each subgroup instead of overriding the effects of proximity. In addition, the effects of grouping were consistent when the subgroups were positioned either vertically or horizontally in relation to each other. Lastly, we found that the effects of visual grouping are consistent across both opinion- and behavior/fact-based questions, although the effects appear to be greater on opinion-based questions. Our findings contribute to the increasing evidence that both verbal and visual languages influence how respondents process and respond to surveys. Because respondents interpret the verbal and graphical features of survey questionnaires as elevant to answering the survey, inadvertent or stylistic design changes can influence how respondents process and respond to survey questions.
Web Survey Bibliography - Smyth, J. D. (33)
- Are You Seeing What I am Seeing? Exploring Response Option Visual Design Effects With Eye-Tracking; 2013; Libman, A., Smyth, J. D., Olson, K.
- The effects of item saliency and question design on measurement error in a self-administered survey; 2012; Stern, M. J., Smyth, J. D., Mendez, J.
- Does Giving People Their Preferred Survey Mode Actually Increase Survey Participation Rates?; 2012; Olson, K., Smyth, J. D., Wood, H.
- Turn that Frown Upside-Down: The Effects of Smiley Faces as Symbolic Language in Self-administered Surveys...; 2012; Libman, A., Smyth, J. D.
- Literacy and Data Quality in Self-Administered Surveys; 2011; Smyth, J. D., Olson, K.
- Medium Node: NSF Census Research Network; 2011; McCutcheon, A. L., Belli, R. F., Olson, K., D.; Smyth, J. D., Soh, L.-K.
- Internet Survey Methods: A Review of Strengths, Weaknesses, and Innovations; 2010; Smyth, J. D., Pearson, J. E.
- Using the Internet to Survey Small Towns and Communities: Limitations and Possibilities in the Early...; 2010; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., O'Neill, A. C.
- Response format effects on measurement of employment; 2009; Thomas, R. K., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Open-Ended Questions in Web Surveys: Can Increasing the Size of Answer Boxes and Providing Extra Verbal...; 2009; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., McBride, M.
- ...; 2008; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., O'Neill, A. C.
- The Effects of Mode and Format on Answers to Scalar Questions in Telephone and Web Surveys; 2008; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., D.Smyth, J. D.
- Internet, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Tailored Design Method ; 2008; Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Smyth, J. D.
- Combining Mail and Internet Methods to Conduct Household Surveys of the General Public: A New Methodology...; 2008; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., Oneill, A.
- Does "Yes or No" on the Telephone Mean the Same as "Check-All-That-Apply" on the...; 2008; D., Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A.Smyth, J. D.
- Context effects in Internet Surveys: New issues and evidence; 2007; D. Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Smith, A.Smyth, J. D.
- Improving response quality in list-style open-ended questions in web and telephone surveys; 2007; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M.
- Visual Design, Order Effects, and Respondent Characteristics in a Self-Administered Survey; 2007; Stern, M. J., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Improving the Quality of Open-End Questions in Mail, Web, and Telephone Surveys; 2007; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Design Effects in the Transition to Web-Based Surveys; 2007; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Helping Respondents Get It Right the First Time: The Influence of Words, Symbols, and Graphics in Web...; 2007; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Is it Possible to Obtain Equivalent Answers to Scalar Questions in Web and Telephone Surveys?; 2006; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Open-Ended Questions in Web and Telephone Surveys; 2006; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., McBride, M.
- Effects of Using Visual Design Principles to Group Response Options in Web Surveys; 2006; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.
- Comparing Check-All and Forced-Choice Question Formats in Web Surveys; 2006; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.
- The Effects of Mode and Format on Answers to Scalar Questions in Telephone and Web Surveys; 2006; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Does ‘Yes or No‘ on the Telephone Mean the Same as ‘Check-all-that-apply’ on...; 2006; Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A.
- Instructing Web and Telephone Respondents to Report Date Answers in Format Desired by the Surveyor; 2005; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- In Search of Equivalency across Modes: Experimental Results Comparing Alternative Question Formats for...; 2005; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Comparing Check-All and Forced-Choice Question Formats in Web Surveys: The Role of Satisficing, Depth...; 2005; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.Chou, C.; de Rouvray, C.Christianson DeMay...
- How Visual Grouping Influences Answers To Internet Surveys; 2004; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.
- The Uses of Paradata for Evaluating Alternative Versions of Web Survey Questions; 2004; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.
- Multiple Answer Questions in Self-administered Surveys: The Use of Check-All-That-Apply and Forced-Choice...; 2003; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.