Web Survey Bibliography
In interpreting questions, respondents extract meaning from how the information in a questionnaire is shaped, spaced, and shaded. We carried out five experiments using five questions measured on a five point scale to investigate how the effects of visual heuristics affect the answers to survey questions and test whether effective question writing (using numerical and verbal labels) may overrule visual effects. The experiments were fielded in the CentERpanel. This is an Internet-based panel, although there is no need to have a personal computer with an Internet connection. If necessary, equipment is provided by CentERdata (the agency). The recruitment of new panel members is done through a random sample of landline numbers of candidates. The panel is designed to be representative of the Dutch population. We demonstrate that respondents use the “middle means typical” heuristic only in a polar point scale. When numbers 1 to 5 are added to the polar point format and with fully labeled scales, the effect of spacing between response options disappears. In a second experiment we show that respondents are confused when options are presented in an inconsistent order and do not follow the “left and top means first” heuristic. In a third experiment we find that inter-item correlations are higher in a polar point scale when items are presented on a single screen instead of separate screens. The effect gets smaller when numbers 1 to 5 are added to the polar point scale. In a fully labeled scale no effect is found. In a fourth experiment, we found no evidence that respondents use the “up means good” heuristic: the use of a decremental or incremental scale did not result in different answer distributions. In a fifth experiment, we show that respondents use the “like means close” heuristic: the adding of numbers that differ both in sign and value (-2 to 2) and the adding of different shadings of red and green color affects respondents’ answers. The effect of different numbers was apparent in both a polar point and fully labeled format, while the effect of color was only apparent in the polar point format.
Conference Homepage (abstract)
Web survey bibliography (210)
- In search of best practices; 2017; Kappelhof, J. W. S.; Steijn, S.
- The perils of non-probability sampling; 2017; Bethlehem, J.
- Estimating the Impact of Measurement Differences Introduced by Efforts to Reach a Balanced Response...; 2017; Kappelhof, J. W. S.; De Leeuw, E. D.
- Data chunking for mobile web: effects on data quality; 2017; Lugtig, P. J.; Toepoel, V.
- Are Final Comments in Web Survey Panels Associated with Next-Wave Attrition?; 2016; McLauchlan, C.; Schonlau, M.
- Participation rates of childhood cancer survivors to self-administered questionnaires: a systematic...; 2016; Kilsdonk, E.; Wendel, E.; van Dulmen-den Broeder, E.; van Leeuwen, F.E.; Van Den Berg, M. H.; Jaspers...
- A look into the challenges of mixed-mode surveys; 2016; Klausch, L. T.
- Unintentional Mobile Respondents in Official Statis tics and Their Effect on Data Quality ; 2016; Bakker, J.
- Tracking the Representativeness of an Online Panel Over Time ; 2016; Klausch, L. T.; Scherpenzeel, A.
- Detecting careless respondents in web-based questionnaires: Which method to use?; 2016; Niesen, A. S. M.; Meijer, R. R.; Tendeiro, J. N.
- Establishing the accuracy of online panels for survey research; 2016; Bruggen, E.; van den Brakel, J.; Krosnick, J. A.
- Surveying End-of-Life Medical Decisions in France: Evaluation of an Innovative Mixed-Mode Data Collection...; 2016; Legleye, S; Pennec, S.; Monnier, A.; Stephan, A.; Brouard, N.; Bilsen, J.; Cohen, J.
- Adaptive survey designs to minimize survey mode effects – a case study on the Dutch Labor Force...; 2016; Calinescu, M.; Schouten, B.
- Reducing Underreports of Behaviors in Retrospective Surveys: The Effects of Three Different Strategies...; 2016; Lugtig, P. J.; Glasner, T.; Boeve, A.
- Sunday shopping – The case of three surveys; 2016; Bethlehem, J.
- Predictive inference for non-probability samples: a simulation study ; 2016; Buelens, B.; Burger, J.; van den Brakel, J.
- Does the Inclusion of Non-Internet Households in a Web Panel Reduce Coverage Bias?; 2016; Eckman, S.
- Internet Panels, Professional Respondents, and Data Quality; 2015; Matthijsse, S.; De Leeuw, E. D.; Hox, J.
- Effect of Web-Based Versus Paper-Based Questionnaires and Follow-Up Strategies on Participation Rates...; 2015; Kilsdonk, E.; van den Heuvel-Eibrink, M. M.; van Dulmen-den Broeder, E.; van der Pal, H. J. H.; van...
- Designing web surveys for the multi-device internet; 2015; de Bruijne, M.
- Self-identification of occupation in web surveys: requirements for search trees and look-up tables ; 2015; Tijdens, K. G.
- Tailored fieldwork design to increase representative household survey response: an experiment in the...; 2015; Luiten, A.; Schouten, B.
- Calendar Instruments in Retrospective Web Surveys; 2015; Glasner, T.; van der Vaart, W.; Dijkstra, W.
- Validating self-reported mobile phone use in adults using a newly developed smartphone application; 2015; Goedhart, G., Kromhout, H., Wiart, J., Vermeulen, R.
- Face-to-Face or Sequential Mixed-Mode Surveys Among Non-Western Minorities in the Netherlands: The Effect...; 2015; Kappelhof, J.
- Finding Item Nonresponse Patterns: Three Internet Survey Experiments Into the Effects of Nonresponse...; 2015; Van De Maat, J.
- The effectiveness of incentives on recruitment and retention rates: an experiment in a web survey; 2015; Mulder, J.; Douhou, S.
- Using WhatsApp as a Survey Tool; 2015; Ongena, Y. P.; Haan, M.
- The Effects of Adding a Mobile-Compatible Design to the American Life Panel; 2015; Toepoel, V.; Lugtig, P. J.; Amin, A.
- Adapting Grid Questions for Mobile Devices; 2015; de Bruijne, M.; Das, M.; van Soest, A.; Wijnant, A.
- Correlates of early and late responses to surveys in an online panel; 2015; Douhou, S.; Vis, C.
- Higher Item Nonresponse Rates Caused by Slider Scales in Web Surveys; 2015; Toepoel, V.; Funke, F.
- Coding Surveys on their Item Characteristics: Reliability Diagnostics; 2015; Bais, F.; Schouten, B.; Toepoel, V.
- Selection error in single- and mixed mode surveys of the Dutch general population; 2015; Hox, J., Klausch, L. T., Schouten, B.
- Investigating Response Quality in Mobile and Desktop Surveys: A Comparison of Radio Buttons, Visual...; 2014; Toepoel, V.; Funke, F.
- 640 Current trends in management of high-risk prostate cancer in Europe: Results of a web-based survey...; 2014; Briganti, A., Isbarn, H., Ost, P., Ploussard, G., Sooriakumaran, P., Van Den Bergh, R.C.N., Van Oort...
- Query on Data Collection for Social Surveys; 2014; Blanke, K., Luiten, A.
- Improving Response Rates and Questionnaire Design for Mobile Web Surveys; 2014; de Bruijne, M., Wijnant, A.
- Quality of physical therapy from a patient's perspective; factor analysis on web-based survey data...; 2014; Scholte, M., Calsbeek, H., Nijhuis-van der Sanden, M. W. G., Braspenning, J.
- Mining “Big Data” using Big Data Services ; 2014; Reips, U.-D., Matzat, U.
- Barriers and facilitators for participation in a preventive pelvic floor muscle training program from...; 2014; Albers-Heitner, P., Moossdorff-Steinhauser, H., Weemhoff, M., Nieman, F., Berghmans, B.
- Informing panel members about study results; 2014; Scherpenzeel, A., Toepoel, V.
- Targeting the bias – the impact of mass media attention on sample composition and representativeness...; 2014; Steinmetz, S., Oez, F., Tijdens, K. G.
- Exploring selection biases for developing countries - is the web a promising tool for data collection...; 2014; Tijdens, K. G., Steinmetz, S.
- Evaluating mixed-mode redesign strategies against benchmark surveys: the case of the Crime Victimization...; 2014; Klausch, L. T., Hox, J., Schouten, B.
- The quality of ego-centered social network data in web surveys: experiments with a visual elicitation...; 2014; Marcin, B., Matzat, U., Snijders, C.
- Measuring the very long, fuzzy tail in the occupational distribution in web-surveys; 2014; Tijdens, K. G.
- Social desirability is the same in offline, online, and paper surveys: A meta-analysis; 2014; Dodou, D., de Winter J. C. F.
- The impact of contact effort on mode-specific selection and measurement bias; 2014; Schouten, B., van der Laan, J., Cobben, F.
- Clicking vs. Dragging: Different Uses of the Mouse and Their Implications for Online Surveys; 2014; Sikkel, D., Steenbergen, R., Gras, S.