Biased Survey Questions: 7 Examples & How to Avoid Them

Previously, we discussed bias in surveys, the impact of different types of bias, and how to fix them. Now, let’s talk about another major contributor to misleading survey results: biased survey questions. 

Just like in life, the way you phrase questions can lead to totally different outcomes. So in this article, we will talk about:

• What are biased survey questions?
• Bias question types and how to avoid them
• Disadvantages of using biased questions

Let's get to it!

What are Biased Survey Questions?

A biased survey question can be caused by word choice or formatting errors, question type selection, or survey design. Whether the mistakes are intentional or not, the outcomes are always the same:

• Leading the respondent toward a particular answer.
• Confusing the respondent so that the answer is incomplete and untrue at worst. 

There’s an old saying, “For want of a nail..” Biased survey questions might seem like a minor detail compared to how the survey looks and feels. However, one survey question error can have a major impact. 

Best case scenario: you get called out by your customers and employees. 

Worst-case scenario: Skewed data that can lead to potentially disastrous decisions.  

7 Types of Biased Survey Questions with Examples

There are mainly seven types of biased survey questions you should keep an eye out for. They are as follows.

• Question order bias
• Leading questions
• Loaded questions
• Double-barreled questions
• Vague questions
• Absolute questions
• Acquiescence bias

We will be discussing each with proper examples and tips on how you can avoid them. Let's discuss this in detail!

#1. Question Order Bias Questions

Question order bias comes in two forms:

1. The question order and sequence

The order of the questions in a survey impacts responses to other questions – especially if the first question is rather sensitive or specific.

For example, in this Cold War experiment, US respondents were surveyed on their attitudes to cross-border travel for American and Soviet reporters. The experiment found a significant question order effect. 

In short, people were more open to admitting Soviet reporters into the US after answering a question about allowing American reporters into Soviet countries. But when the question order was switched, people were less likely to want Soviet reporters in the US (and vice versa).

2. The bias in questions when they are not randomized

This happens in surveys where images are critical, like concept testing. This refers to improving a concept – a logo, product idea, ad campaign, etc. – by collecting feedback from your target audience. 

Here’s an example of a biased question - “What do you think about our product after hearing all the customer reviews?”

How to Fix Question Order Bias

Try randomizing the questions and responses in the surveys. If you are using tools like SurveySparrow, there will be an option to randomize the surveys automatically. 

Or, you can use the random questions generator tool to make the questions randomized. 

#2. Leading Questions

Leading question bias is a type of cognitive bias that occurs when the wording of a question influences the answer. Basically, putting words in the respondent’s mouth. It is also called “leading statement bias” or “leading hypothesis bias”.

Here are a few examples of how leading questions are biased. 

• Given the overwhelming success of our product recently, how satisfied are you with our products?
• Would you be worried if we discontinued this product line?
• How amazing was your experience with our customer support team?
• Most customers love our product. How much do you love our product?

Also when it comes to workplaces, an example of leading biased question is when employees are asked, “What are your issues with the agency?” or when customers are asked, “How great is our service?”. 

Both questions include assumptions and emotional language. This is a huge no-no because if people feel they are being manipulated, it can lead to higher survey drop-off rates. 

How Do You Fix Leading Questions?

The best way to avoid adding leading questions is to use neutral, objective wording. The key is to avoid adding language that suggests particular answers. Make sure to keep out emotions and judgments from questions and answer options.

Biased survey questions - How great is our service?

Unbiased survey questions - How would you rate our service?

#3. Loaded Questions

Loaded questions contain an implicit assumption (or pre-assumption) that may or may not be true about respondents.

In this regard, leading questions and loaded questions are almost similar. The difference tends to be in the answers. Loaded questions force respondents to answer in black and white, “yes” or “no”, which puts them on the defensive. 

To give you a proper idea of how biased loaded survey questions can be have a look at some examples.

Q. Have you stopped mistreating your pet?

This question assumes the respondents to be someone who mistreats pets or are used to. Therefore, the implications of the possible answers are -

1. If the respondents answer - YES. Then, it suggests that they acknowledge having mistreated pets but have ceased to do so now.
2. If they answer No, then it implies that they are still mistreating pets.

Now, imagine the respondents to be a pet lover who have immense care and love for animals and birds. Disaster, right? That's why you need to avoid this at any cost.  

How Do You Fix Loaded Questions?

You can start by changing the wording of your question to reflect possible scenarios. 

Instead of asking this - “Have you stopped mistreating your pet?” 

Ask this - “What's your approach to treating pets?” 

Similarly, another example is instead of asking an employee, “How often do you take a break twice a day?” it should ideally be the follow-up to: “How many breaks do you take in a day?” But if the question isn’t relevant, you can use skip logic. 

Also, try using opinion scales, sliders, or MCQs instead of yes or no. If you need to use Yes\No, add an ‘Other’ option to opt out. 

#4. Double-barreled Questions

Like a double-barreled shotgun, double-barreled survey questions ask for two different pieces of information in one question. They are often used in surveys to save time but can lead to confusion and inaccurate data.

To spot a double-barreled question, look for ‘and’, ‘or’ or even a ‘?’. Here’s an example from a library survey: 

“How satisfied are you with your job and salary?“

As you can see, the respondents are forced to come up with an answer that serves two different questions. The end result of having such questions would be confused respondents leaving the survey mid-way.

How to Avoid Double-Barreled Questions

The best way to fix double-barreled questions is by splitting them into single-barrel questions. In other words, make them into two different questions. 

Instead of asking this - “How satisfied are you with your job and salary?“

Ask these - 

• How satisfied are you with your job?
• How satisfied are you with your salary? 

This will allow the respondent to answer with only one piece of information. Then, it’s easier for them to answer the question accurately.

#5. Vague Questions

Vague questions are a common problem in surveys. Unlike leading and loaded questions, they leave too much room for interpretation. In that case, you won’t get coherent results since the range of answers will vary wildly.

Here’s an example of a vague question: “Did you find this service helpful?” 

The main con of asking such a question is ambiguity. Survey respondents can't know which service in specific are you asking about. Is it customer service? Is it marketing service? Or is it financial support? 

Without the questions being specific, the answers you get would be irrelevant and inaccurate, leading to vague insights. 

How to Avoid Vague Questions

Reframe the question to focus on the metric that matters to your survey goal. So we’ll rephrase the example above like this:

“What were your key takeaways from this blog?”

• Ask for specific information that the customer or employee may know. When you ask your customers, “How does our service compare to our competitors?” they may not respond because they don’t know who your competitors are.

#6. Absolute Questions

The main issue of using absolute questions is that it uses definitive terms like always, never, and every. Therefore, it implies that there are no exceptions to the statement being made. The reason why this is a biased survey question is that it corners the respondent to answer.

They are problematic because they restrict the respondent’s answer options to Yes/No or ‘True/False. This forces the respondent to pick an option that might not reflect their honest opinion. That is how absolute question bias skews your data. 

Here's an example of an absolute question.

Do you always use product X for your cleaning needs?

The question assumes that the respondent uses the product X 100% of the time, which is highly unlikely. Therefore, it can lead to a likely "NO" answer that doesn't accurately reflect the overall usage.

Similarly, another example is - Tell us why you have never purchased our product.

Here, also, you can see the question implies that the respondent has never used the product before. Again, leading to inaccurate answers. 

Absolute questions also include absolute terms, like all, none, must, every, always, just, only, never…you get the drift. 

How to Avoid Absolute Question Bias

Avoid absolute terms unless you need them.

Try providing more options. Suppose you were marketing a lunchbox service to office workers in your city, and you wanted to know about specific lunch habits

#7. Acquiescence Bias

Think of every user agreement you’ve ever read. They’re long, tedious, and make you want to hit ‘Agree’ straightaway! In surveys, that is known as the acquiescence or agreement bias. 

Acquiescence bias happens when a respondent loses interest in the survey. So they zip through it and mostly choose positive responses in the process. This can give the impression that everything’s going well. 

How to Avoid Acquiescence Bias

Break the pattern. Choose different question types to keep things interesting, like image choice, MCQs, sliders, matrix, voiceover, etc. 

Respond with a thank you message to those who complete the survey. 

Disadvantages of Having Biased Questions in Survey

You may already have an idea of the plausible cons of using biased survey questions. But to not leave any stones unturned, we will be discussing them here.

Let's have a look at them.

Inaccurate Data Collection

Skewed results. You may have noticed this particular keyword used across the blog. Well, it was for the right reasons.

For example, leading questions may nudge respondents toward a specific answer. Such questions can misinterpret their actual feelings or behaviors. This can lead to misleading conclusions and poor decision-making.

Reduced Validity and Reliability

The integrity of survey findings is compromised when questions are biased. Biased questions can make respondents provide answers they think are expected from them. This undermines the validity of the survey and the reliability of the results.

Wasted Resources

Time and resources spent on designing and administering a survey can be wasted if the questions are biased. Imagine investing in a high-end survey tool to analyze survey results, only to realize the questions were biased. No matter the efficiency of the tool, the results you get will be useless.

Frustrated Respondents

Respondents may feel manipulated or frustrated when faced with biased questions. This can lead to disengagement, lower response rates, and income surveys.

Imagine you being cornered to give a response that is untrue and not of your liking. not good, right? That's how the respondents will feel when you use biased survey questions.

Loss of Trust

Building on what we discussed in the previous section, using biased questions can damage the trust of your brand. This loss can have a prolonged effect on your customer relationships and brand loyalty.

As the saying goes, It's easy to destroy anything, but to build it up takes significant time. 

Wrapping Up

We’ve talked about seven types of biased survey questions. We’ve also shared our top tactics for minimizing them. But if you want to know more about writing better questions, here’s a guide on writing survey questions that will give you the exact responses you’re looking for. 

Happy surveying!