A new two-dimensional question format in web survey design: Assimilation and contrast effects
Computer- and web-based survey technology has enabled the use of question formats and layouts that would be difficult or even impossible to implement with traditional paper questionnaires. The present article investigates context effects—specifically assimilation versus contrast effects—in connectio...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Methodological Innovations |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/20597991231179392 |
| _version_ | 1797770397003808768 |
|---|---|
| author | Arto T Selkälä Ulf-Dietrich Reips |
| author_facet | Arto T Selkälä Ulf-Dietrich Reips |
| author_sort | Arto T Selkälä |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Computer- and web-based survey technology has enabled the use of question formats and layouts that would be difficult or even impossible to implement with traditional paper questionnaires. The present article investigates context effects—specifically assimilation versus contrast effects—in connection with four web survey question designs. Three traditional types of matrix questions are experimentally tested against a new two-dimensional question format referred to as ZEF. This new question format allows survey practitioners to present two questions at the same time, the responses to which are entered on the x - and y -axes of a two-dimensional chart. The chart also displays a respondent’s answers to the preceding two-dimensional questions. This approach accentuates the simultaneous application of two dimensions of a question and encourages the comparison of pairwise items across the dimensions. The two-dimensional format generates a higher number of assimilation effects as compared with the three traditional matrix question formats. This suggests that instead of conceptual interconnection of items, context effect formation in ZEF is dominated by the visual proximity of the item scales and the common region of the two-dimensional chart. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:21:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6bd60121547f497da94e022fc5459818 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2059-7991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:21:48Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Methodological Innovations |
| spelling | doaj.art-6bd60121547f497da94e022fc54598182023-07-28T15:33:39ZengSAGE PublishingMethodological Innovations2059-79912023-07-011610.1177/20597991231179392A new two-dimensional question format in web survey design: Assimilation and contrast effectsArto T Selkälä0Ulf-Dietrich Reips1Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, FinlandDepartment of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, GermanyComputer- and web-based survey technology has enabled the use of question formats and layouts that would be difficult or even impossible to implement with traditional paper questionnaires. The present article investigates context effects—specifically assimilation versus contrast effects—in connection with four web survey question designs. Three traditional types of matrix questions are experimentally tested against a new two-dimensional question format referred to as ZEF. This new question format allows survey practitioners to present two questions at the same time, the responses to which are entered on the x - and y -axes of a two-dimensional chart. The chart also displays a respondent’s answers to the preceding two-dimensional questions. This approach accentuates the simultaneous application of two dimensions of a question and encourages the comparison of pairwise items across the dimensions. The two-dimensional format generates a higher number of assimilation effects as compared with the three traditional matrix question formats. This suggests that instead of conceptual interconnection of items, context effect formation in ZEF is dominated by the visual proximity of the item scales and the common region of the two-dimensional chart.https://doi.org/10.1177/20597991231179392 |
| spellingShingle | Arto T Selkälä Ulf-Dietrich Reips A new two-dimensional question format in web survey design: Assimilation and contrast effects Methodological Innovations |
| title | A new two-dimensional question format in web survey design: Assimilation and contrast effects |
| title_full | A new two-dimensional question format in web survey design: Assimilation and contrast effects |
| title_fullStr | A new two-dimensional question format in web survey design: Assimilation and contrast effects |
| title_full_unstemmed | A new two-dimensional question format in web survey design: Assimilation and contrast effects |
| title_short | A new two-dimensional question format in web survey design: Assimilation and contrast effects |
| title_sort | new two dimensional question format in web survey design assimilation and contrast effects |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/20597991231179392 |
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