Positioning of Clarification Features in Web Surveys: Evidence from Eye Tracking Data
Marek Fuchs
Darmstadt University of Technology
Tanja Kunz
Darmstadt University of Technology
An eye tracking study (n = 108) was conducted to gain in-depth understanding of the optimal position of clarification features like definitions, retrieval cues or instructions and its impact on data accuracy. While answering a Web survey containing several split experiments on the positioning of clarification features in a lab setting subjects’ attention to the various question components was recorded using eye tracking methods. Initial analysis of the survey responses concerning open-ended numerical and narrative questions provided only limited evidence that survey answers were actually altered by varying positions of clarifying information. However, eye tracking data offered direct evidence concerning differences in the respondents’ visual attention depending of the position of clarification features. Findings indicate that the optimal position of clarification features mainly depends on the stage within the question-answer process the information provided in the clarification feature refers to.
