Web Survey Bibliography
Title The Influence of Words, Symbols, Numbers, and Graphics on Answers to Self-Administered Questionnaires: Results from 18 Experimental Comparisons
Author Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M.
Source Washington State University
Year 2002
Access date 16.04.2004
Full text pdf (112k)
Abstract This paper reports results from 18 experimental comparisons designed to test 10 hypotheses about the effects of verbal language (words) and nonverbal languages (numbers, symbols, and graphics) on responses to self-administered questionnaires. The experiments were included in a large-scale survey of 1,042 university students. Significant differences were observed for most comparisons, providing support for nine of the ten hypotheses. The results confirm that people’s responses to questions in self-administered questionnaires are influenced by more than words. Thus, the visual composition of questions must be taken into consideration when designing such surveys and, especially, when comparing results across surveys in which the visual presentation of questions is varied.
Access/Direct link Homepage - Dillman (full text)
Year of publication2002
Bibliographic typeGeneric - other
Web survey bibliography - Christian, L. M. (21)
- User Experience and Eye-tracking: Results to Optimize Completion of a Web Survey and Website Design ; 2016; Walton, L.; Ricci, K.; Libman Barry, A.; Eiginger, C.; Christian, L. M.
- Evaluating Visual Design Elements for Data Collection and Panelist Engagement; 2015; Christian, L. M.; Harm, D.; Langer Tesfaye, C.; Wells, T.
- Internet, Phone, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Tailored Design Method, 4th Edition; 2014; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M.
- A Comparison of Results from Surveys by the Pew Research Center and Google Consumer Surveys; 2012; Keeter, S., Christian, L. M.
- Assessing Cell Phone Noncoverage Bias Across Different Topics and Subgroups; 2010; Christian, L. M., Keeter, S., Purcell, K., Smith, A.
- Questionnaire Design Guidelines for Establishment Surveys; 2010; Morrison, R. L., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M.
- 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.
- Where Do We Find You? How to Locate Cell Respondents; 2009; Christian, L. M., Dimock, M.
- Do Landline RDD Samples Adequately Cover the "Wireless Mostly"?; 2009; Dimock, M., Christian, L. M., Keeter, S.
- 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.
- The Influence of Topic Interest and Interactive Probing on Responses to Open-Ended Questions in Web...; 2009; Holland, J. L., Christian, L. M.
- Designing Scalar Questions for Web Surveys; 2009; Christian, L. M., Parsons, N. L., Dillman, D. A.
- ...; 2008; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., O'Neill, A. C.
- 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.
- Context effects in Internet Surveys: New issues and evidence; 2007; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M.
- The influence of interactive probing on response to open-ended questions in a web surveys; 2007; Holland, J. L., Christian, L. M.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Influence of Graphical and Symbolic Language Manipulations on Responses to Self-Administered Questions...; 2004; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A.