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CHAPTER 5: Survey Research 171do you think?” To avoid bias, it is better to mention all possible perspectivesor to mention none. A survey question about attitudes toward nuclear energycould read, “Some people favor the use of nuclear energy, some people opposethe use of nuclear energy, and some people have no opinion one way or theother. What do you think?” or “What do you think about the use of nuclearenergy?” Loaded questions are questions that contain emotion-laden words.For example, terms such as “radical” and “racist” should be avoided. To guardagainst loaded questions, it is best to have your questionnaire reviewed by individualsrepresenting a range of social and political perspectives.Finally, when using multiple items to assess a construct, it’s important toword some of the items in the opposite direction to avoid problems associatedwith response bias. The potential for response bias exists when respondents useonly extreme points on rating scales, or only the midpoint, or when respondentsagree (or disagree) with every item. For example, an assessment of emotionalwell-being might include the following items:My mood is generally positive.1 ------ 2 ------ 3 ------ 4 ------ 5StronglyStronglydisagreeagreeI am often sad.1 ------ 2 ------ 3 ------ 4 ------ 5StronglyStronglydisagreeagreeRespondents with a response bias in which they always agree with statementsmight circle “5” on both scales, resulting in an unreliable assessment ofemotional well-being. More consistent responding would require participantsto use the opposite end of the self-rating scale. Responses to these reversed itemsare “reverse-scored” (1 5, 2 4, 4 2, 5 1) when participants’ responsesare summed to derive a total score for emotional well-being.In summary, good questionnaire items should—use vocabulary that is simple, direct, and familiar to all respondents;—be clear and specific;—not involve leading, loaded, or double-barreled questions;—be as short as possible (20 or fewer words);—present all conditional information prior to the key idea;—avoid potential response bias; and—be checked for readability.Ordering of Questions The order of the questions in a survey requires carefulconsideration. The first few questions set the tone for the rest of the questionnaire,and determine how willingly and conscientiously respondents willwork on subsequent questions. For self-administered questionnaires, it isbest to begin with the most interesting set of questions in order to capture therespondents’ attention. Demographic data should be obtained at the end of a