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Subject:Re: Designing a survey From:Anthony Mohr <amohr -at- CASTEK -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 8 Oct 1998 09:16:29 -0400
Suzette Seveny wrote: "I have a couple of surveys I use on a regular basis;
one for documentation and
one for training. I always use a scale of one to five with an explanation
as
follows:
1 - Very dissatisfied
2 - Somewhat dissatisfied
3 - Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
4 - Somewhat satisfied
5 - Very satisfied"
I read somewhere that when you design a survey with a scale, the scale
should always be made up of an even number of options. If the scale has an
uneven number of options, then people who are unsure about their response
tend to choose the option in the middle. However, if the scale is made up
of an even number of options, people responding to the survey are forced to
choose an option that most closely aligns with their opinion.
Tony Mohr
Technical Writer
Castek Software Factory
Toronto, ON
