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Subject:Re: Designing a survey From:"D. Margulis" <ampersandvirgule -at- WORLDNET -dot- ATT -dot- NET> Date:Thu, 8 Oct 1998 17:40:28 -0400
Anthony Mohr wrote:
>
> 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.
>
In a different context, many juried arts and crafts shows use a scoring
system that requires jurors (viewing slides submitted by applicants) to
score them 1, 2, 4, or 5, for just this reason--to force individuals off
the fence. The system has been used successfully for years, and the
principle seems to be a sound one that is equally applicable in this
context.
