Scale questions can have any number of levels, representing the strength of the respondent’s opinion.
If there’s a group of scale questions together and they all have the same number of values, and the text for these values is the same for each question, then only one set of values will be displayed. But if the text is different in any way, they will be treated as separate questions with separate value blocks.
The figure below shows a typo in the value block for the last question (“Neutrall”), so it is separated out.
Entering Scale Questions All at Once
We have provided a shortcut to make adding a group of scale questions easier. Click the Add Scale Question button.
This dialog allows you to simultaneously enter the question, column headings, and question prompts. When you save the dialog, the “Question” becomes a “Heading/Instruction Text” question, the question prompts become the questions for each row of radio buttons, and the column headings become the values above each column of radio buttons, identical for each question.
In the above example, this dialog would create six questions on the ad hoc form, the header question, and five individual scale questions. The titles are also managed so that you can identify which question is which.
Entering Scale Questions One at a Time
Scale questions can also be entered like any other question. Beginning with a “Heading/Instruction Text” question would be best. Then, enter the second question, specifying the values (column headings) you want to use for all of them. Keep the actual “question” text short since it’s just a prompt to the left of the radio buttons, and the overall question is in the heading.
You should copy the values into the Clipboard. Then, when you specify each subsequent question, you can paste these values in so that they match. This option is helpful if you need to add a row to your scale question group.
If you want to add a row asking how important “Competition” is, you can edit one of the existing questions and copy the values to the Clipboard. Then, enter the new question with the same values and move it into your desired position.
Storing and Reporting Values or Numbers
Scale questions allow you to pick whether the results are stored using the values (column headings) or numbers. This is done on the Add/Edit Question dialog. If you do not store numbers, the column heading for the chosen radio button is stored. If you elect to store numbers, the first value (column heading) is treated as 1; the second is treated as 2, etc.
“Poor, Fair, Good, Excellent” will be reported as 1,2,3,4. But a scale of 0 – 10 will be reported as 1 – 11.