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Web Survey Bibliography

Title Evaluating Grid Questions for 4th Graders
Year 2016
Access date 09.06.2016
Abstract
Eye-tracking has been used to better understand the survey response process. For instance, eye-tracking has been used to identify questions that are difficult to comprehend, how to present long lists of response options, and to measure the length of fixation on definitions in Web surveys. Grid questions have been commonly used in Web surveys as well as in other types of surveys. The literature shows respondents took less time to answer questions when they were presented in a grid than when they were presented individually across separate pages or screens. The use of grid questions, however, may also be associated with several undesirable outcomes, including higher breakoff rates, higher missing data rates, and straightlining. Relatively little is known about how children answer grid questions. This paper demonstrates how eye-tracking was used to determine the feasibility of using such questions to measure the background characteristics of students in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) questionnaire. Fourth grade students were answered both grid and discrete (single-item per screen) versions of questions on tablet computers while wearing real-world eye tracking glasses. This study addresses four research questions related to the use of eye-tracking to test survey questions. First, we examine whether grid items require more effort to answer than discrete items for fourth grade students. Second, we investigate how the processing of sub items changes within a grid. Third, we examine how the processing of questions change overtime. In order to address these research questions, we examine difference in the mean number of fixations per word and the mean duration per word for grid and discrete questions. Overall, the study finds support for the use of grid questions with fourth grade students in the NAEP. Implications forthe use of eye-tracking equipment to evaluate survey questions are also discussed.
 
Year of publication2016
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
Print

Web survey bibliography - The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) 71st Annual Conference, 2016 (107)

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