Response scale characteristics - Literature Review
Here we aim to provide an updated and detailed classification of design choices in the development of survey questions and their effect on measurement quality. Each section contains definitions, theoretical arguments and empirical evidence. As a starting point, we use the literature review by DeCastellarnau (2018)* but we intent to expand this and include more studies in collaboration with researchers in the field. Together we want to create a platform which serves to inform about design choices in questionnaire development. If you would like us to include your arguments and/or findings, please, use this form.
Characteristics of the response scales' conceptualization
- Scales' evaluative dimension: Item specific, Agree/Disagree scales
- Scales' polarity: Bipolar, Unipolar
- Concept-Scale polarity agreement: Concept-Scale polarity agreement: Both bipolar, Both unipolar, Bipolar concept with a unipolar scale
Characteristics of the type of response scale and its length
- Type of response scales: Continuous scales: absolute/relative open-ended quantifiers, relative/absolute metric scales. Categorical scales: dichotomous scales, rating scales, closed quantifiers, branching scales
- Response scales' length: Response scales' length: Minimum/ Maximum possible value, Number of categories
Characteristics of the response scales' labels
- Verbal labels: Fully-labelled, Partially labelled, Not labelled
- Verbal labels' information: Non-conceptual, Conceptual, Objective, Subjective, Full-informative
- Quantifier labels: Vague, Close-range
- Fixed reference points: Number of fixed reference points
- Order verbal labels: From negative-to-positive, From positive-to-negative
- Nonverbal labels: Numbers, Letters, Symbols
- Order numerical labels: Negative-to-positive, Positive-to-negative, 0-to-positive, 0-to-negative, Positive-to-0, Negative-to-0, 1 (or higher)-to-positive, Positive-to-1 (or higher)
- Correspondence between numerical and verbal labels: High, Medium, Low
- Scales' symmetry: Symmetric, Asymmetric
- Neutral alternative: Neutral alternative: Explicit, Implicit, Not provided
- "Don't know" (DK) option: Explicit, Implicit, Not provided
Characteristics of the response scales' visual presentation
- Types of visual response requirement: Point-selection, Slider, Text-box input, Drop-down menu, Drag-and-drop
- Sliders' marker position: Left/Bottom, Right/Top, Middle, Outside
- Scales illustrative format: Ladder, Thermometer, Other, None
- Scales' layout display: Horizontal, Vertical, Nonlinear
- Overlap between verbal and numerical labels: Overlap, Text clearly connected to categories
- Labels' visual separation: Non-substantive options, Neutral options, End-points, All options, None
- Labels' illustrative images: Feeling faces, Other human symbols, Non-human symbols, None
*DeCastellarnau, A. Qual Quant (2018) 52: 1523. doi: 10.1007/s11135-017-0533-4, for the overview on each characteristic and design choices together with the findings related to their influence on data quality, check the Table.