Nonverbal Labels
Nonverbal labels are numbers, letters or symbols instead of words attached to the options in the scale.
Theoretical arguments
- Adding numbers provides an additional source of information to process by the respondents before submitting an answer (Christian et al. 2009).*
- Numeric labels are more precise and easier but they have no inherent meaning (Krosnick and Fabrigar 1997).*
- The numbers help respondents to decide whether the scale is supposed to be unipolar or bipolar (Tourangeau et al. 2007).*
- Using numeric labels is to disambiguate the meaning of scale verbal labels. 0 to 10 numbers suggest the absence or presence of an attribute, while -5 to 5 suggest that the absence corresponds to 0 whereas the negative values refer to the presence of its opposite (Schwarz et al. 1991).*
Empirical evidence on data quality
YES means that there is an effect on quality either positive or negative impact. NO means that there is no effect.
*DeCastellarnau, A. Qual Quant (2018) 52: 1523. doi: 10.1007/s11135-017-0533-4
- Response style is unaffected when using scales with or without numbers [Satisficing bias through distribution comparison] (Christian et al. 2009) → NO*
- Scales with no numbers evoke more extreme responding than scales with numbers [Extreme response bias through latent class factor] (Moors et al. 2014) → YES*
- Scales with no numbers are comparable to those with positive numbers [Response style through distribution comparison] (Tourangeau et al. 2000) → NO*
YES means that there is an effect on quality either positive or negative impact. NO means that there is no effect.
*DeCastellarnau, A. Qual Quant (2018) 52: 1523. doi: 10.1007/s11135-017-0533-4
References
Christian, L.M., Parsons, N.L., Dillman, D.A. (2009). Designing scalar questions for web surveys. Sociol. Methods Res. 37, 393–425. doi: 10.1177/0049124108330004
Krosnick, J.A., Fabrigar, L.R. (1997). Designing rating scales for effective measurement in surveys. In: Lyberg, L.E., Biemer, P.P., Collins, M., De Leeuw, E.D., Dippo, C., Schwarz, N., Trewin, D. (eds.) Survey Measurement and Process Quality, pp. 141–164. Wiley, Hoboken.
Moors, G., Kieruj, N.D., Vermunt, J.K. (2014). The effect of labeling and numbering of response scales on the likelihood of response bias. Sociol. Methodol. 44, 369–399. doi: 10.1177/0081175013516114
Schwarz, N., Knäuper, B., Hippler, H.-J., Noelle-Neumann, E., Clark, L. (1991). Rating scales: numeric values may change the meaning of scale labels. Public Opin. Q. 55, 570–582. doi: 10.1086/269282
Tourangeau, R., Rips, L.J., Rasinksi, K.(2000). The Psychology of Survey Response. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Tourangeau, R., Couper, M.P., Conrad, F. (2007). Color, labels, and interpretive heuristics for response scales. Public Opin. Q. 71, 91–112. doi: 10.1093/poq/nfl046
Christian, L.M., Parsons, N.L., Dillman, D.A. (2009). Designing scalar questions for web surveys. Sociol. Methods Res. 37, 393–425. doi: 10.1177/0049124108330004
Krosnick, J.A., Fabrigar, L.R. (1997). Designing rating scales for effective measurement in surveys. In: Lyberg, L.E., Biemer, P.P., Collins, M., De Leeuw, E.D., Dippo, C., Schwarz, N., Trewin, D. (eds.) Survey Measurement and Process Quality, pp. 141–164. Wiley, Hoboken.
Moors, G., Kieruj, N.D., Vermunt, J.K. (2014). The effect of labeling and numbering of response scales on the likelihood of response bias. Sociol. Methodol. 44, 369–399. doi: 10.1177/0081175013516114
Schwarz, N., Knäuper, B., Hippler, H.-J., Noelle-Neumann, E., Clark, L. (1991). Rating scales: numeric values may change the meaning of scale labels. Public Opin. Q. 55, 570–582. doi: 10.1086/269282
Tourangeau, R., Rips, L.J., Rasinksi, K.(2000). The Psychology of Survey Response. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Tourangeau, R., Couper, M.P., Conrad, F. (2007). Color, labels, and interpretive heuristics for response scales. Public Opin. Q. 71, 91–112. doi: 10.1093/poq/nfl046
