Chapter 10

Questionnaire and Form Design

True/False Questions
1. A standardized questionnaire or form will ensure comparability of the data, increase
speed and accuracy of recording, and facilitate data processing.
(True, easy, page 280)
2. A questionnaire is an informal set of questions for obtaining information from
respondents.
(False, easy, page 280)
3. Two apparently similar ways of posing a question always yields the same
information.
(False, easy, page 281)
4. A well-designed questionnaire can motivate the respondents and increase the response
rate.
(True, easy, page 281)
5. The steps in the questionnaire design process are interrelated and the development of
a questionnaire will involve some iteration and looping.
(True, moderate, page 281)
6. The more diversified the respondent group, the more difficult it is to design a single
questionnaire that is appropriate for the entire group.
(True, easy, page 282)
7. All questions on a questionnaire should relate directly to the research purpose at hand.
(False, easy, page 284)
8. Respondents may not be able to respond because they are unable to articulate a
response, they may not be informed, or they may not remember.
(True, moderate, page 285)
9. Respondents do not answer questions on which they are not informed.
(False, easy, page 285)
10. Filter questions enable the researcher to filter out respondents who are not adequately
informed.
(True, easy, page 285)
11. A dont know option does not appear to reduce uninformed responses without
reducing the overall response rate or the response rate for questions about which the
respondents have information.
(False, moderate, page 286)
133

12. Questions such as What did you have for lunch a week ago? are correct questions
because consumers are very good at remembering quantities of products consumed.
(False, easy, page 286)
13. Creation error is the inability to recall an event that actually took place.
(False, difficult, page 286)
14. Research indicates that questions that rely on unaided recall can underestimate the
actual occurrence of an event.
(True, moderate, page 286)
15. Respondents with responses that are difficult to articulate should be given aids such
as pictures, maps, and descriptions to help them articulate their responses.
(True, moderate, page 287)
16. The researcher can manipulate the context in which the questions are asked so that the
questions seem appropriate.
(True, moderate, page 287)
17. Sensitive topics should be placed at the beginning of the questionnaire to get the
difficult questions over with.
(False, moderate, page 288)
18. Respondents exhibiting order or position bias tend to check the first or last number in
a list of numbers.
(False, difficult, page 290)
19. To control for order bias, several forms of the questionnaire should be prepared with
the order in which alternatives are listed varied from form to form.
(True, easy, page 290)
20. Dichotomous questions cannot have neutral alternatives such as dont know or no
opinion.
(False, moderate, page 291)
21. Deciding on question wording is probably the most difficult task in developing a
questionnaire.
(True, moderate, page 292)
22. When developing questions, the researcher should avoid leading questions like What
is your favorite brand of toothpaste?
(False, moderate, page 295)
23. Mentioning the sponsor of a project in the question might bias the respondent towards
the sponsor.
(True, moderate, page 295)

134

24. An alternative that is not explicitly expressed in the options is an implicit alternative.
(True, moderate, page 295)
25. There is evidence that the response to a question is influenced by the directionality of
the question.
(True, easy, page 296)
26. Opening questions should be used to get at the purpose of the questionnaire quickly.
(False, easy, page 296)
27. Qualifying questions should not serve as opening questions.
(False, easy, page 297)
28. Information should be obtained in the following order: basic, identification,
classification.
(False, moderate, page 297)
29. The inverted funnel is a strategy for ordering questions in a questionnaire in which
the sequence starts with the general questions that are followed by progressively
specific questions in order to prevent specific questions from biasing general
questions.
(False, moderate, page 298)
30. The inverted funnel approach is useful when respondents have no strong feelings or
have not formulated a point of view.
(True, moderate, page 298)
31. In questionnaire design, assigning a code to every conceivable response before data
collection is called pre-coding.
(True, easy, page 299)
32. All aspects of the questionnaire should be tested, including question content, wording,
sequence, form and layout, question difficulty, and instructions.
(True, easy, page 301)
33. Respondents for the pretest and for the actual survey should not be drawn from the
same population.
(False, easy, page 301)
34. Forms for recording observational data are more difficult to construct than
questionnaires.
(False, moderate, page 302)
35. Observational forms and questionnaires require adequate pretesting.
(True, easy, page 302)

135

36. The questionnaire or research instrument should be biased in terms of the country in
which it will be used.
(False, easy, page 302)
37. Information on demographic characteristics such as marital status, education,
household size, occupation, income, and dwelling unit may have to be specified
differently for different countries, as these variables may not be directly comparable
across countries.
(True, moderate, page 303)
38. Unstructured questions reduce cultural bias because they do not impose any response
alternatives.
(True, easy, page 303)
Multiple Choice Questions
39. Which of the following is not an objective of a questionnaire?
a. A questionnaire must translate the information needed into a set of specific
questions that the respondents can and will answer.
b. A questionnaire must be easy to use.
c. A questionnaire must uplift, motivate, and encourage the respondent to become
involved in the interview, to cooperate, and to complete the interview.
d. A questionnaire should minimize response error.
(b, moderate, page 281)
40. The great weakness of questionnaire design is _____.
a. precision
b. accuracy
c. theory
d. consensus
(c, moderate, page 281)
41. The first step in the questionnaire design process is _____.
a. specify the type of interview method
b. identify the form and layout
c. specify the information needed
d. determine the content of individual questions
(c, moderate, page 281)
42. When developing a questionnaire, to ensure that the information obtained fully
addresses all components of the problem, the researcher should:
a. review components of the problem and the approach.
b. prepare a set of dummy tables.
c. have a clear idea of the target population.
d. all of the above
(d, moderate, page 281)
136

43. A _____ describes how the analysis will be structured once the data have been
collected.
a. dummy table
b. analysis table
c. dummy plan
d. none of the above
(a, moderate, page 281)
44. The type of method influences questionnaire design. Considering how the
questionnaire is administered under each method, which method is most appropriate
if lengthy, complex, and varied questions need to be asked?
a. mail questionnaire
b. telephone interview
c. personal interview
d. Internet questionnaire
(c, moderate, page 282)
45. Deciding if a question is necessary or if several questions are needed rather than one
are decisions involved with _____.
a. determining the order of scales
b. choosing question wording
c. choosing question structure
d. individual question content
(d, moderate, page 284)
46. Do you think Coca-Cola is a tasty and refreshing soft drink? is an example of a
_____.
a. structured question
b. dichotomous question
c. double-barreled question
d. branching question
(c, moderate, page 284)
47. A _____ is a single question that attempts to cover two issues.
a. structured question
b. dichotomous question
c. double-barreled question
d. branching question
(c, easy, page 284)

137

48. When determining if a question is necessary, in some situations it may be necessary

to ask questions that are not directly related to the information that is needed. Which
of the types of questions below was mentioned in your text as an example of such a
question?
a. neutral questions
b. filler questions
c. questions about competing brands
d. all of the above
(c, difficult, page 284)
49. Most why questions about the use of a product or choice alternative involve two
aspects: _____ and _____.
a. attributes of the product; influences leading to knowledge of the product
b. attributes of the product; how the product is used
c. how the product is used; influences leading to knowledge of the product
d. none of the above
(a, difficult, page 285)
50. _____ that measure familiarity, product use, and past experience should be asked
before questions about the topics themselves.
a. Branching questions
b. Filler questions
c. Dichotomous questions
d. Filter questions
(d, moderate, page 286)
51. Respondents inability to remember leads to three types of error. Which of the errors
listed below is not mentioned in the text as one of the types of errors created by
respondents?
a. telescoping
b. creation error
c. recall error
d. omission error
(c, difficult, page 286)
52. The respondents ability to remember an event is influenced by all of the following
except:
a. the event itself
b. the time elapsed since the event
c. the presence or absence of events that would aid memory
d. where you were when the event occurred
(d, moderate, page 286)

138

53. Which of the following is not a reason why a respondent might be unwilling to
answer a particular question?
a. The respondent may not be informed.
b. Too much effort is required.
c. The situation or context may not seem appropriate for disclosure.
d. No legitimate purpose or need for the information requested is apparent.
(a, moderate, page 287)
54. When trying to overcome respondents unwillingness to answer, explaining why the
data are needed or the use of counter-biasing statements can _____.
a. put the request in context
b. make the request seem legitimate
c. help reduce the effort required of the respondent
d. both a and b
(d, moderate, page 288)
55. _____ refer to open-ended questions that respondents answer in their own words.
a. Dichotomous questions
b. Structured questions
c. Unstructured questions
d. Branching questions
(c, easy, page 289)
56. Describe your college experience and What is your occupation? are _____
questions.
a. dichotomous
b. filter
c. structured
d. unstructured
(d, moderate, page 289)
57. Which of the following statements is not an advantage of unstructured questions?
a. Unstructured questions are good as first questions on a topic.
b. Implicitly, unstructured questions give extra weight to respondents who are more
articulate.
c. Unstructured questions have a much less biasing influence on response than
structured questions.
d. Unstructured questions are useful in exploratory research.
(b, difficult, page 289)

139

58. Which of the following statements is not a disadvantage of unstructured questions?

a. Unstructured questions are not suitable for self-administered questionnaires.
b. Coding of responses is costly and time consuming.
c. Unstructured questions have a much less biasing influence on response than
structured questions.
d. Implicitly, unstructured questions give extra weight to respondents who are more
articulate.
(c, easy, page 289)
59. _____ specify the set of response alternatives and the response format.
a. Filter questions
b. Structured questions
c. Unstructured questions
d. Branching questions
(b, easy, page 290)
60. Which of the following is not a type of structured question?
a. multiple choice
b. dichotomous
c. scale
d. none of the above
(d, easy, page 290)
61. When developing questionnaire questions, if you are considering order position bias
and the set of all possible response alternatives, you are developing _____ questions.
a. multiple choice
b. dichotomous
c. scale
d. branching
(a, moderate, page 290)
62. Which of the following statements is not a disadvantage of structured questions?
a. Coding and processing of data are much less costly and time consuming.
b. Considerable effort is required to design effective multiple choice questions.
c. Showing respondents the list of possible answers produces biased responses.
d. It is difficult to obtain information on alternatives not listed.
(a, easy, pages 290-291)
63. What is the one acute problem of dichotomous questions?
a. There is potential for position bias.
b. It is difficult to obtain information on alternatives not listed.
c. The response can be influenced by the wording of the question.
d. None of the above.
(c, moderate, page 291)

140

64. _____ is the translation of the desired question content and structure into words that
respondents can clearly and easily understand.
a. The questionnaire design process
b. Question wording
c. Overcoming inability to answer
d. Determining the content of individual questions
(b, moderate, page 291)
65. When developing a questionnaire, the following guidelines: (1) define the issue, (2)
use ordinary words, and (3) avoid ambiguous words are used when _____.
a. arranging questions in proper order
b. choosing question wording
c. designing questions to overcome the respondents inability to answer
d. determining the content of individual questions
(b, moderate, page 291)
66.

67.

68.

When developing a questionnaire, the six Ws (who, what, when, where, why, and
way) are used when _____.
a. defining the issue
b. choosing question wording
c. avoiding generalizations and estimates
d. determining the content of individual questions
(a, moderate, pages 292-293)
Choosing between the questions Do you think the distribution of soft drinks is
adequate? (Incorrect) and Do you think soft drinks are readily available when you
want to buy them? (Correct) are examples of situations that pertain to _____.
a. avoiding leading questions
b. avoiding ambiguous words
c. using positive and negative statements
d. using ordinary words
(d, moderate, page 293)
Which of the words below is not an ambiguous word?
a. frequently
b. twice
c. often
d. occasionally
(b, moderate, page 294)

141

69.

When developing a questionnaire, if the researcher is asking him/herself if the word

means what he/she intended; if it has any other meanings; if the word has more than
one pronunciation; or if a simpler phrase is suggested then, he/she is probably
concerned with _____.
a. avoiding leading questions
b. avoiding ambiguous words
c. using defining the issue
d. using ordinary words
(b, difficult, page 294)

70. A _____ is a question that gives the respondent a clue as to what answer is desired or
leads the respondent to answer in a certain way.
a. leading question
b. implicit alternative
c. filter question
d. structured question
(a, difficult, page 295)
71. Which of the following statements is correct about implicit alternatives?
a. Making an implied alternative explicit may increase the percentage of people
selecting that alternative.
b. When alternatives are close in preference or large in number, the alternatives at
the end of the list have a greater chance of being selected.
c. The split ballot technique should be used to rotate the order in which a list of
alternatives appear.
d. All of the above are correct.
(d, difficult, page 295)
72.

73.

The statement Questions should be specific, not general. pertains to the _____
aspect of questionnaire development.
a. avoid implicit assumptions
b. avoid implicit alternatives
c. avoid generalizations and estimates
d. use unambiguous words
(c, moderate, page 296)
The information that is of the most importance to the research project and should be
obtained first is _____.
a. qualifying information
b. identification information
c. basic information
d. classification information
(c, difficult, page 297)

142

74.

75.

76.

77.

78.

79.

_____ is information that relates directly to the research problem.

a. Qualifying information
b. Identification information
c. Basic information
d. Classification information
(c, moderate, page 297)
_____ is socioeconomic and demographic characteristics used to classify respondents.
a. Qualifying information
b. Identification information
c. Basic information
d. Classification information
(d, difficult, page 297)
_____ is a type of information obtained in a questionnaire that includes name,
address, and phone number.
a. Qualifying information
b. Identification information
c. Basic information
d. Classification information
(b, difficult, page 297)
Which of the following statements is true about difficult questions?
a. Difficult questions should be placed at the end of the section on basic information.
b. Difficult questions should be placed at the end of the identification section.
c. Difficult questions should be placed at the end of the classification section.
d. All of the statements are correct.
(d, moderate, page 297)
Which statement is correct concerning the effect on subsequent questions?
a. As a rule of thumb, general questions should precede specific questions to prevent
specific questions from biasing responses to general questions.
b. The inverted funnel approach is useful when respondents have no strong feelings
or have not formulated a point of view.
c. The inverted funnel approach is particularly useful when information has to be
obtained about respondents general choice behavior and their evaluations of
specific products.
d. All are correct.
(d, moderate, pages 297-298)
_____ are questions used to guide an interviewer through a survey by directing the
interviewer to different spots on the questionnaire depending on the answers given.
a. Leading questions
b. Branching questions
c. Opening questions
d. Multiple choice questions
(b, moderate, page 298)
143

80.

81.

82.

83.

84.

Experiments on mail questionnaires for census of population revealed what about

questionnaire form and layout?
a. Questions at the top of the page received more attention than those placed at the
bottom.
b. Sensitive information placed at the end of the questionnaire was answered more
frequently than sensitive information placed elsewhere.
c. Instructions printed in red made little difference except that they made the
questionnaire appear more complicated to the respondents.
d. Both a and c are correct.
(d, moderate, pages 298-299)
Which of the following practices should be avoided when reproducing the
questionnaire?
a. If the printed questionnaire runs to several pages, it should take the form of a
booklet.
b. Sideways formatting and splitting should be done to conserve space.
c. Directions or instructions should be placed as close to the questions as possible.
d. Surveys directed at different respondent groups can be reproduced on different
colored paper.
(b, moderate, page 300)
_____ is the testing of the questionnaire on a small sample of respondents for the
purpose of improving the questionnaire by identifying and eliminating potential
problems.
a. Funneling
b. Telescoping
c. Posttesting
d. Pretesting
(d, moderate, page 301)
Observational forms should specify the who, what, and when of the behavior to be
observed. The forms should also specify all of the items below except:
a. where
b. whether
c. why
d. way
(b, moderate, page 302)
Which of the following statements are true concerning questionnaire design for
international marketing research?
a. The questionnaire may have to be suitable for administration by more than one
method.
b. It is desirable to have two or more simple questions rather than a single complex
question.
c. Unstructured or open-ended questions should be used with caution in countries
with high illiteracy rates.
d. All of the above statements are true.
(d, moderate, page 303)
144

Essay Questions
85. If a researcher were trying to overcome the unwillingness of respondents to answer
by considering the effort required of the respondents, what might he/she do to make
the respondent more willing to respond? Develop an example question (showing the
incorrect and correct way to best overcome the respondents unwillingness to answer)
to clarify your response.
Answer
The researcher should minimize the effort required by providing lists of options for
respondents to check off instead of asking respondents to provide their own list. (The
student should provide his/her own supporting example like the department store
example on page 287.)
(moderate, page 287)
86. Discuss at least three things that the researcher who is developing a questionnaire can
do to increase the willingness of the respondent to answer.
Answer
Using the following techniques may encourage respondents to provide information
that they are unwilling to give:
Place sensitive topics at the end of the questionnaire. By then, initial mistrust has
been overcome, rapport has been created, legitimacy of the project has been
established, and respondents are more willing to give information.
Preface the question with a statement that the behavior of interest is common. For
example, before requesting information on credit card debt, say, Recent studies
show that most Americans are in debt. This technique is called the use of
counter-biasing statements.
Ask the question using the third-person technique; phrase the question as if it
referred to other people.
Hide the question in a group of other questions that respondents are willing to
answer. The entire list of questions can then be asked quickly.
Provide response categories rather than asking for specific figures. Do not ask,
What is your households annual income? Instead, ask the respondent to check
the appropriate income category: under $25,000, $25,001$50,000, $50,001
$75,000, or over $75,000. In personal interviews, give the respondents cards that
list the numbered choices. The respondents then indicate their responses by
number.
Use randomized techniques. In these techniques, respondents are presented with
two questions, one sensitive and the other a neutral question with a known
probability of a yes response (e.g., Is your birthday in March?) They are
asked to select one question randomly, for example by flipping a coin. The
respondent then answers the selected question yes or no, without telling the
researcher which question is being answered. Given the overall probability of a
yes response, the probability of selecting the sensitive question, and the
probability of a yes response to the neutral question, the researcher can
determine the probability of a yes response to the sensitive question using the
145

law of probability. However, the researcher cannot determine which respondents

have answered yes to the sensitive question.
(difficult, pages, 288-289)
87. What criteria should the researcher use when deciding whether to use a neutral
alternative with dichotomous questions?
Answer
If a neutral alternative is not included, respondents are forced to choose between
yes and no even if they feel indifferent. On the other hand, if a neutral alternative
is included, respondents can avoid taking a position on the issue, thereby biasing the
results. The following guidelines are offered. If a substantial proportion of the
respondents can be expected to be neutral, include a neutral alternative. If the
proportion of neutral respondents is expected to be small, avoid the neutral
alternative.
(difficult, page 291)
88. What are the guidelines for the placement of branching questions?
Answer
Placement of branching questions is important and the following guidelines should be
followed: (1) the question being branched (the one to which the respondent is being
directed) should be placed as close as possible to the question causing the branching,
and (2) the branching questions should be ordered so that the respondents cannot
anticipate what additional information will be required. Otherwise, the respondents
may discover that they can avoid detailed questions by giving certain answers to
branching questions.
(moderate, page 298)
89. Pretesting refers to the testing of the questionnaire on a small sample of respondents
to identify and eliminate potential problems. Discuss what the researcher expects to
gain from pretesting the questionnaire.
Answer
All aspects of the questionnaire should be tested. Subsequent pretests done after
changes are made from an initial pretest should reveal problems peculiar to the
interviewing method. The project director, the researcher who developed the
questionnaire, and other key members of the research team should conduct some
pretest interviews to gain a feel for potential problems and the nature of expected
data. Experienced interviewers can easily perceive uneasiness, confusion, and
resistance in the respondents. New interviewers can help the researcher identify
interviewer-related problems. Finally, the responses obtained from the pretest should
be coded and analyzed. The analysis of pretest responses can serve as a check on the
adequacy of the problem definition and the data and analysis required to obtain the
necessary information. The dummy tables prepared before developing the
questionnaire will point to the need for the various sets of data. If the response to a
question cannot be related to one of the preplanned dummy tables, either those data
are superfluous, or some relevant analysis has not been foreseen. If part of a dummy
146

table remains empty, a necessary question may have been omitted. Analysis of pretest
data helps to ensure that all data collected will be utilized and that the questionnaire
will obtain all the necessary data.
(difficult, pages 301-302)

147