[IxDA Discuss] Asking questions to participants in a positive or negative way ?

[Jeff Gimzek]

We actually used a 5 point scale in our rating system (Very  
Dissatisfied  --> Very Satisfied ) specifically to give users a  
"neutral" option, and not force them to show a bias where none exists.

Some people really just dont care, or have factors evenly weighted  
enough that they cancel out.


On May 20, 2008, at 8:51 AM, Christine Neidley wrote:
> Just a quick note: Your hypothesis sounds great. With Likert scales
> (even if they're using words instead of numbers to rate the
> participants response) try to use an even number of options. Four is
> nice. With four options, your participant must to decide between the
> two poles, but still has room to express the degree to which they
> agree.
>
> So instead of attractive/unattractive, you could have:
> attractive, somewhat attractive, somewhat unattractive, unattractive
> (This is just as you were saying in your hypothesis.)
>
> I go to a lot of websites that don't necessarily sparkle, but they
> aren't blaze orange with a looping midi of a Christmas carol. So I
> know that I'm always grateful for a little bit of room in the middle.
>
> One downside of being a Tech Comm graduate student, I have in fact had
> nightmares about survey reports. I got to breathe, eat, and sleep this
> stuff for a semester last year.
>
> Hope this helps,
> Christine\


--

Jeff Gimzek | Senior User Experience Designer

jeff at glassdoor.com | www.glassdoor.com