Response effects and computer-administered questionnaires: the role of the entry task and previous computer experience

Abstract

Abstract In a field experiment at a tourist attraction, a between-subject; design was used to compare paper-and-pencil survey responses against those collected from two computer-administered questionnaire ( CAQ) packages; one using a cursor movement answering protocol, and the second using number pad entry. Three response effects were identified for the groups completing computerized questionnaires: an increase in the range of responses to scale questions, a tendency to select only one choice in answering multiple response questions, and longer answers to open-ended questions. Response effects were shown to be as much a function of the specific computer entry task, as the computerized interviewing situation in general. This finding suggests that computer-collected data should not be compared with data from other methodologies or even different questionnaire software without qualification. Respondent's previous computer experience was shown to have a marginal effect on the size of response effects, and onl...