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survey design

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    Decision Architecture Entry #0134

    Why the second question on a survey is the real one

    The opening question sets a frame. Every answer that follows is given inside it, and the respondent cannot see the frame because they are standing in it.

    Adept
    The hidden part #0134

    The first question is not a question. It is the frame in which the second question will be understood.

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    Choice Design Entry #0228

    Why a slider produces a different answer than a text box

    The control you use to enter a number quietly tells you what range of numbers is normal, and your answer drifts toward the middle of that range.

    Novice
    The hidden part #0228

    The control suggests its own range. A slider does not record your position; it negotiates one.

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    Decision Architecture Entry #0128

    Why the order of questions changes the answers

    Ask about happiness first and then about politics, or reverse the order: the same person gives different answers to the same questions.

    Novice
    The hidden part #0128

    Earlier answers become context for later ones. A survey does not measure opinion; it measures opinion in the order the surveyor chose.

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