View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Agreement by design: The effect of visual harmony on responses to surveys.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Agreement by design: The effect of visual harmony on responses to surveys.
Authors: Orth, Ulrich R. (AUTHOR), Nickel, Kristina (AUTHOR), Böhm, Rebekka (AUTHOR), Röwe, Katharina (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Consumer Behaviour. Mar/Apr2020, Vol. 19 Issue 2, p196-207. 12p.
Subjects: Surveys, Customer relationship management, Likert scale, Questionnaire design
Abstract: The present study is one of the first to empirically examine how the visual harmony of a questionnaire can lead to measurement bias. Researchers often employ questionnaires with Likert scales to measure constructs. In this note, we examine how the design of the survey instrument, specifically, its visual harmony, can impair measurement accuracy. Two studies investigate effects of visual harmony in surveys on responses to Likert scales using paper and pencil surveys. Applying an established customer relationship management model, Study 1 employs a survey of female visitors to a grocery store (n = 115). Switching to a product and brand innovation context, Study 2 employs a survey of male and female members of a consumer panel (n = 180) to examine responses to a new e‐scooter. Across studies, results indicate that assessing important consumer response constructs through visually more harmonious surveys can lead to more positive response patterns, lower scale reliability, and questionable validity, especially with females. Although these effects do not occur uniformly across measures and samples, they occur regardless of consumers' past experience with completing questionnaires, their familiarity with questionnaire design, and the naturalness and elaborateness of the visual design. Relating specific elements (e.g., text boxes, type font, shapes, and images) and relational properties of design (e.g., balance, symmetry, and coherence) to consumers' overall perception of harmony aids marketers and researchers in achieving intermediate levels to obtain realistic, reliable, and valid results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Consumer Behaviour is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 142039095
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Agreement by design: The effect of visual harmony on responses to surveys.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Orth%2C+Ulrich+R%2E%22">Orth, Ulrich R.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nickel%2C+Kristina%22">Nickel, Kristina</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Böhm%2C+Rebekka%22">Böhm, Rebekka</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Röwe%2C+Katharina%22">Röwe, Katharina</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Consumer+Behaviour%22">Journal of Consumer Behaviour</searchLink>. Mar/Apr2020, Vol. 19 Issue 2, p196-207. 12p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Surveys%22">Surveys</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Customer+relationship+management%22">Customer relationship management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Likert+scale%22">Likert scale</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Questionnaire+design%22">Questionnaire design</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The present study is one of the first to empirically examine how the visual harmony of a questionnaire can lead to measurement bias. Researchers often employ questionnaires with Likert scales to measure constructs. In this note, we examine how the design of the survey instrument, specifically, its visual harmony, can impair measurement accuracy. Two studies investigate effects of visual harmony in surveys on responses to Likert scales using paper and pencil surveys. Applying an established customer relationship management model, Study 1 employs a survey of female visitors to a grocery store (n = 115). Switching to a product and brand innovation context, Study 2 employs a survey of male and female members of a consumer panel (n = 180) to examine responses to a new e‐scooter. Across studies, results indicate that assessing important consumer response constructs through visually more harmonious surveys can lead to more positive response patterns, lower scale reliability, and questionable validity, especially with females. Although these effects do not occur uniformly across measures and samples, they occur regardless of consumers' past experience with completing questionnaires, their familiarity with questionnaire design, and the naturalness and elaborateness of the visual design. Relating specific elements (e.g., text boxes, type font, shapes, and images) and relational properties of design (e.g., balance, symmetry, and coherence) to consumers' overall perception of harmony aids marketers and researchers in achieving intermediate levels to obtain realistic, reliable, and valid results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Consumer Behaviour is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=142039095
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1002/cb.1804
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 12
        StartPage: 196
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Surveys
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Customer relationship management
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Likert scale
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Questionnaire design
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Agreement by design: The effect of visual harmony on responses to surveys.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Orth, Ulrich R.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Nickel, Kristina
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Böhm, Rebekka
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Röwe, Katharina
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 03
              Text: Mar/Apr2020
              Type: published
              Y: 2020
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 14720817
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 19
            – Type: issue
              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Consumer Behaviour
              Type: main
ResultId 1