Cognitive load reduction strategies in questionnaire design

Survey data quality suffers when respondents have difficulty completing complex tasks in questionnaires. Cognitive load theory informed the development of strategies for educators to reduce the cognitive load of learning tasks. We investigate whether these cognitive load reduction strategies can be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of market research 2021-03, Vol.63 (2), p.125-133
Main Authors: Brosnan, Kylie, Grün, Bettina, Dolnicar, Sara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cognitive load
Questionnaires
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Summary:Survey data quality suffers when respondents have difficulty completing complex tasks in questionnaires. Cognitive load theory informed the development of strategies for educators to reduce the cognitive load of learning tasks. We investigate whether these cognitive load reduction strategies can be used in questionnaire design to reduce task difficulty and, in so doing, improve survey data quality. We find that this is not the case and conclude that some of the traditional survey answer formats, such as grid questions, which have been criticized in the past lead to equally good data and do not frustrate respondents more than alternative formats.
ISSN:1470-7853
2515-2173
DOI:10.1177/1470785320986797