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    Order Effect

    Order effect is the bias introduced when the sequence of questions or answer options influences responses.

    Order effects come in two forms: (1) question-order effects — earlier questions prime answers to later ones (asking about specific product flaws before overall satisfaction will depress CSAT 5-15 points); (2) response-order effects — primacy (top-of-list options chosen more on visual lists) and recency (bottom options chosen more on audio surveys). The standard mitigations are randomization of answer options, randomization of question blocks within a section, and pretest with two versions to measure the size of any sequence effect.

    Example

    Two versions of a product survey: Version A asks satisfaction last; Version B asks satisfaction first. CSAT in A = 78%, in B = 84%. The 6-point gap is order effect, not a real difference.

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    Related terms

    Priming Bias

    Priming bias is the influence that an earlier stimulus (question, image, word) has on how a respondent interprets or answers later questions.

    Response Bias

    Response bias is any systematic tendency of respondents to answer questions inaccurately, either intentionally or unconsciously.

    Leading Question

    A leading question is one whose wording suggests a particular answer, biasing the respondent toward it.

    Acquiescence Bias

    Acquiescence bias is the tendency of respondents to agree with statements regardless of their actual opinions.

    Central Tendency Bias

    Central tendency bias is the tendency of respondents to avoid extreme options on a rating scale, clustering toward the middle.

    Social Desirability Bias

    Social desirability bias is the tendency of respondents to answer in ways they believe will be viewed favorably by others.