When was the last time you filled a survey that had no multiple-choice question? You might have a hard time remembering because almost all the surveys and forms have at least one multiple-choice question.
Multiple choice questions are primary requisites in survey building as it brings in more relevance to the question asked. Multiple choice questions are nifty, insightful, and generate specific data making analysis easier. As they come with a predetermined set of options, they provide a basis for the respondents to complete the survey with proper understanding.
I never took that keen interest in understanding the dynamics behind multiple-choice questions. But now that you explained, I am really intrigued with this question type.
The best thing about these question types is you can frame very simple questions with specific options. You will be able to guide the respondent’s responses as per your need.
Are there different types of multiple-choice questions?
Absolutely. In fact, the two major types of multiple choice question types are based on the number of options one can choose.
Single-answer multiple choice question
For these types of questions, respondents are required to choose just one option from the predetermined list of choices. This is the most common type of question in this category. It is most effective when asking someone to pick their favorites or for quiz-type questionnaires where there cannot be two or more right answers.
Multiple-answer multiple choice question
For these types of questions, respondents are allowed to choose more than one option from the predetermined list of choices. This type of question is used when we want to understand what a customer likes in a product.
Here’s an example of framing the same question in both formats.
Which of the following flowers would you like us to arrange in your bouquet? (Multiple-answer type)
What is your favorite flower? (Single-answer type)
What should one keep in mind while framing multiple-choice questions?
The first and foremost requirement is to have a comprehensive list of options. If not, the data we get back will lack integrity and might be biased.
But it will be a humongous task to provide an inclusive list to the respondents in questions that seek variation preferences. For example, if you want to collect data from travelers on their favorite spot in a city, you will end up having a long list of options that will tire your respondents too. Additionally, there is also a risk of missing out on some options. However, there is an easy fix to this problem. It is always advisable to add an option of “Other” at the end and allow respondents to enter their answers.
However, if you leave too many options, and most of your respondents use this feature, your question will end up being open-ended. You may end up not getting the analysis required for your needs. Therefore, the need for an exhaustive list in multiple-choice questions.
What are some of the option variations we can try in multiple-choice question types?
One can choose from the following variations of multiple-choice question types while framing a questionnaire.
This type of option is in the text form and is usually the most commonly used. One may use one word to sentences while forming these options. However, it is important to maintain parallelism through the answers.
In this type, the options are in the form of pictures and it makes the questionnaire more fun and interesting. It is advisable to add text below the pictures to avoid any discrepancies from the intended meaning. This variation is slowly catching up among survey writers.
This is a variation of the text-based choice type but with a twist. Here, the respondents are not shown all the options at once. They can scroll down a dropdown list and choose their option. This type is used to conserve screen space. However, it is advisable to use them sparingly. Respondents find it easier to comprehend an answer when the choices are visible all at once.
When you have several questions with the same set of responses, you might want to use the matrix type. However, it may become cumbersome to the respondent if they have to scroll with each question.
This is a variation of the matrix type. The most common type of rating scale that is used in surveys and forms is the
Likert scale or Likert-type scale.
Asking respondents how much they like/dislike or agree/disagree with a statement is your typical Likert scale.
This type of multiple-choice is one where instead of asking the respondent to pick their choice, they are made to rank the choices provided to them. However, ranking questions are not easily comprehensible and hence only sparingly used in surveys and questionnaires.
A perfect questionnaire is one that helps generate the best responses, which is possible with a multiple-choice questionnaire. It is simple, relevant, inclusive, and most importantly helps connect better with your respondent!
