JSM 2005 Online Program

Abstract #304142

This is the preliminary program for the 2005 Joint Statistical Meetings in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Currently included in this program is the "technical" program, schedule of invited, topic contributed, regular contributed and poster sessions; Continuing Education courses (August 7-10, 2005); and Committee and Business Meetings. This on-line program will be updated frequently to reflect the most current revisions.

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Activity Number:	197
Type:	Contributed
Date/Time:	Monday, August 8, 2005 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
Sponsor:	Section on Survey Research Methods
Abstract - #304142
Title:	Conceptual vs. Visual Midpoints of Response Scales
Author(s):	Mirta Galesic*+ and Roger Tourangeau and Mick Couper and Fred Conrad
Companies:	Joint Program in Survey Methodology and Joint Program in Survey Methodology and University of Michigan and Institute for Social Research
Address:	1218 LeFrak Hall, College Park, MD, 20742, United States
Keywords:	response scales ; scale midpoints ; heuristics
Abstract:	Besides the conceptual midpoint of a response scale, the visual midpoint also can affect answers. Respondents often use heuristics or interpretive shortcuts such as "middle means typical" to interpret scale midpoints (Tourangeau, Couper, and Conrad 2004). In this paper, we manipulate both conceptual and visual midpoint and examine their relative effects. The experiment was conducted within a web survey in Fall 2004 on 2,640 respondents using questions about probabilities, frequencies, and attitudes. Conceptual midpoints were varied by using neutral, positively skewed, and negatively skewed response scales. Visual midpoints were manipulated by changing spacing between response options. The negatively skewed scale produced significantly higher mean responses than the neutral scale, which in turn produced significantly higher mean responses than the positively skewed scale. Shifts in visual midpoints had less striking effects, but were still noticeable in subgroups of the respondent who reported they were distracted, bored, or less careful.

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