Order of the Questions Consider the following two questions: Currently, social media companies, such as Facebook, profit by selling user data. Do you believe the government should regulate the ability of social media companies to sell user data?
Do you think the order in which the questions are asked will affect the survey results? If so, what can the pollster do to alleviate this response bias?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of response bias, which occurs when the order or wording of questions influences how respondents answer, potentially skewing survey results.
2. Step 2: Recognize that asking one question before another can prime respondents, meaning their answers to the second question might be influenced by the first, thus affecting the survey's validity.
3. Step 3: To assess if question order affects responses, the pollster can design an experiment using randomization, where different groups of respondents receive the questions in different orders.
4. Step 4: Analyze the responses from the different groups to check for significant differences in answers that could be attributed to question order, indicating the presence of response bias.
5. Step 5: To alleviate response bias, the pollster can use techniques such as randomizing question order for each respondent or carefully wording questions to minimize leading or priming effects.

Key Concepts

Response Bias

Response bias occurs when the way questions are asked influences the answers given by respondents, leading to systematic errors. In surveys, factors like question order, wording, or context can cause respondents to answer differently than they would otherwise, affecting the validity of results.

Question Order Effects

Question order effects refer to changes in survey responses caused by the sequence in which questions are presented. Earlier questions can prime or influence how respondents interpret and answer later questions, potentially skewing data and introducing bias.

Randomization to Reduce Bias

Randomization involves varying the order of questions across different survey participants to minimize order effects. By randomly assigning question sequences, pollsters can reduce systematic bias and obtain more reliable, generalizable results.