Conditional Branching in Computerized Self-Administered Questionnaires: An Empirical Study
Conditional Branching in Computerized Self-Administered Questionnaires: An Empirical Study
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Date
2003-01-21
Authors
Norman, Kent L.
Pleskac, Timothy
Advisor
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DRUM DOI
Abstract
Conditional branching is used in surveys to direct respondents
to skip inappropriate questions or to answer additional follow-up questions.
When surveys are implemented on the World Wide Web, conditional branching can be
automated in different ways. This study compares three implementations: (a) a
manual form which replicates the paper-and-pencil version in a scrollable
browser window, (b) a semi-automatic form which also shows the whole survey but
auto-scrolls to the next appropriate question, and (c) an automatic form that
displays only one item per screen and implements all branching. The surveys
used for the study involved follow-ups of one, two, or three questions. The
three implementations were counterbalanced in a within-subjects design. As
expected it was found that completion times increased with the number of
follow-up questions. More importantly, the automatic item-by-item
implementation proved significantly faster than either the manual or the
auto-scrolling versions. Respondents found the auto-scrolling to be
disorienting. These results suggest that automatic branching should be used but with graceful jumps that guide the respondents' focus of attention without
loosing it.
Keywords
Questionnaires, Surveys, Conditional Branching, User Interface, World Wide Web,
CSAQ.
(UMIACS-TR-2002-05)
(HCIL-TR-2002-02)