@techreport{9401f6c50275400eac97c9692e7d3d56,
title = "Design of Web Questionnaires: The Effect of Layout in Rating Scales",
abstract = "This article shows that respondents gain meaning from visual cues in a web survey as well as from verbal cues (words).We manipulated the layout of a five point rating scale using verbal, graphical, numerical, and symbolic language. This paper extends the existing literature in four directions: (1) all languages (verbal, graphical, numeric, and symbolic) are individually manipulated on the same rating scale, (2) a heterogeneous sample is used, (3) in which way personal characteristics and a respondent's need to think and evaluate account for variance in survey responding is analyzed, and (4) a web survey is used.Our experiments show differences due to verbal and graphical language but no effects of numeric or symbolic language are found.Respondents with a high need for cognition and a high need to evaluate are affected more by layout than respondents with a low need to think or evaluate.Furthermore, men, the elderly, and the highly educated are the most sensible for layout effects.",
keywords = "web survey, questionnaire lay out, context effects, need for cognition, need to evaluate",
author = "V. Toepoel and J.W.M. Das and {van Soest}, A.H.O.",
note = "Subsequently published in Journal of Official Statistics, 2009 Pagination: 36",
year = "2006",
language = "English",
volume = "2006-30",
series = "CentER Discussion Paper",
publisher = "Econometrics",
type = "WorkingPaper",
institution = "Econometrics",
}