GRID TYPE QUESTIONS:
REPORTING:
When reporting on data collected in a grid type question, it is
important to remember what these questions do and do not measure.
TYPE OF
REPORTING
CORRECT
INCORRECT
RATIONALE
… when
reporting on
individual
attributes
evaluated in
the grid
Sixty-four percent
of adults say money
is a somewhat/very
significant source of
stress.
Sixty-four percent of
adults say money is
a significant source
of stress, with 31
percent saying it is
very significant and 33
percent saying it is a
somewhat significant
source of stress.
Money is the most
significant source of stress
(64 percent).
The question measures
the degree of
significance placed on
each item.
In each of these
examples, the incorrect
statement is misleading
because the finding
is reported as if the
question asked for a
“ranking” rather than a
“rating.”
With the grid type
question format,
respondents are not
asked to make a direct
comparison between
the attributes, which
may have resulted in
a different finding. As
such, while we can
discuss which attributes
the sample is most likely
to rate “significant,” we
cannot state that one
is more significant than
another.
… when
comparing
multiple
attributes
Many adults say that
money (31 percent) and
work (22 percent) are a
very significant source of
stress in their life.
Very significant sources
of stress are money (31
percent) and work (22
percent), followed by
relationships, health
problems affecting
family and family
responsibilities equally, at
17 percent.
The most significant
sources of stress are
money (31 percent) and
work (22 percent).
Americans rank money
(31 percent) ahead of
work (22 percent) as a
source of stress.
Money (31 percent) is a
more significant source
of stress than work (22
percent).
… when
comparing
subgroups
on individual
attributes
Those that earn <$50K
(74 percent) are more
likely than those that
earn ≥$50K (57 percent)
to say that money
is a very/somewhat
significant source of
stress in their life.
More lower income
adults (<$50K, 74
percent) say money
is a very/somewhat
significant source of
stress than those who
earn more (≥$50K, 57
percent).
Those who earn <$50K
say money (74 percent
somewhat/very
significant) is a more
significant source of stress
than work (60 percent).
WHAT DOES A
GRID TYPE QUESTION
MEASURE?
•
Measures the level of
endorsement for a particular
attitude, perception or
behavior (each of the
attributes evaluated)
•
Evaluates attributes
independently
•
Provides insight into the
strength and depth of
feeling for each attribute
Grid type questions
measure multiple attributes
across the same scale.
They are “rating” questions,
not “ranking” questions.
They measure attributes as
they relate to each other,
but not absolutes.
They indicate the level
of endorsement (e.g.,
importance, agreement,
etc.) for each attribute.
Key Takeaways
APPENDIX
page 16
WHAT DOES A
GRID TYPE QUESTION
NOT MEASURE?
•
Does not measure absolutes
•
Does not ask respondents to
“rank” attributes
•
Reporting should reflect that
respondents did not “rank”
items against each other
SIMPLE SCALED QUESTION
—
eliciting a specific attitude or
behavior from a respondent:
Excellent
9%
Very good
29%
Good
42%
Fair
18%
Poor
2%
REPORTING:
When reporting on simple scaled questions, it is important to
remember that these questions answer only the specific question asked. Errors in
reporting are less common than with grid type questions described above.
BASE: All respondents (Adults n=3068)
APPENDIX
page 17
simple scaled
question?
WHAT IS A
•
Asks about specific attitudes
or behaviors
•
Has scales that can vary and
measure a wide variety of
attitudes or behaviors
–
Importance, agreement,
likelihood, favorability, etc.
Q2250: In general, would you say your health is ...
SIMPLE SCALED
QUESTIONS:
WHAT DOES A
SIMPLE SCALED
QUESTION MEASURE?
Measures the level of
endorsement
for a specific attitude,
perception or behavior
Simpled scaled questions
measure specific attitudes
or behaviors.
Their findings indicate the
level of endorsement (e.g.,
importance, agreement,
etc.) for specific attitudes
or behaviors.
Key Takeaways
WHAT DOES A
SIMPLE SCALED QUESTION
NOT MEASURE?
Does not measure how the
item being measured relates to
other attitudes or behaviors
TYPE OF
REPORTING
CORRECT
INCORRECT
RATIONALE
… when
reporting on
individual
attributes
evaluated in
the grid
Most adults report their
overall health as good
(42 percent) or very good
(29 percent).
Very few (9 percent)
would say their overall
health is excellent.
Thirty-eight percent of
adults are in excellent or
very good health.
Most adults are in good
health (42 percent) and
very few (2 percent) are
unhealthy.
The incorrect findings
are not specific
enough. The question
specifically asked
respondents to evaluate
their own health; it
does not represent
objective measures of
health or the opinion of
a qualified health care
professional, which may
differ from the self-
report.
… when
comparing
subgroups
on individual
attributes
Both men (39 percent)
and women (36 percent)
are likely to think their
health is excellent or very
good.
Men and women are
equally healthy (39
percent and 36 percent,
respectively).
APPENDIX
page 18
multiple
response
question?
WHAT IS A
•
Is used to understand a
range of attitudes, behaviors
or perceptions
•
Provides insight into the
prevalence of different
attitudes, behaviors or
perceptions
WHAT DOES A
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
QUESTION MEASURE?
Measures the prevalence
of attitudes, behaviors or
perceptions
WHAT DOES A
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
QUESTION NOT MEASURE?
•
Does not necessarily
measure the frequency of a
specific attitude, behavior or
perception
•
Does not necessarily
measure the strength of
the attitude or perception
measured
•
Does not specifically capture
preference (i.e., “favorites”)
among attitudes, behaviors
or perceptions, or rank order
MULTIPLE QUESTION
—
asking respondents to report on a range
of attitudes, behaviors or perceptions:
REPORTING:
When reporting on data collected from a multiple response question,
it is important to remember that they measure prevalence. They do not necessarily
measure frequency, strength of endorsement or preference. Rather, these data are
useful to understand the range of behaviors or attitudes on a given topic.
Q965: Do you do any of the following to help manage stress?
Please select all that apply.
TYPE OF
REPORTING
CORRECT
INCORRECT
RATIONALE
… when
reporting
at the
aggregate
level
The most common
ways people manage
stress are listening
to music, exercising/
walking and watching
TV/movies for more
than two hours a day.
Two out of five adults
listen to music as a way
to manage stress (44
percent).
Listening to music,
exercising/walking and
watching TV/movies
for more than two
hours a day are the
most popular ways to
manage stress.
Listening to
music is the most
frequent stress
management
technique.
In reporting, use of the word
“frequently” or “frequency” implies
how often a behavior is done.
This question, as phrased, measures
prevalence (i.e., how many people
are doing these activities) rather than
actual frequency (i.e., how many times
per week or month they are doing
each of these).
When reporting on subgroups,
we know that more people from a
particular subsample (i.e., women)
engage in a behavior as compared to
men. The question does not address
the question of whether those women
engaging in the behavior actually do
the behavior more often than men.
It is important to consider the whole
question as it was asked. As such,
results from this question cannot,
for example, be used to measure the
likelihood of listening to music overall
— only the likelihood of listening
to music for the specific purpose of
managing stress.
TOP 10 MOST COMMON RESPONSES
Listen to music
44%
Exercise or walk
43%
Watch TV/movies for more than 2 hours per day
40%
Surf the Internet/go online
38%
Read
36%
Spend time with friends or family
35%
Pray
29%
Nap/sleep
27%
Spend time doing a hobby
24%
Eat
23%
BASE: All respondents (Adults n=3068)
APPENDIX
page 19
TYPE OF
REPORTING
CORRECT
INCORRECT
RATIONALE
… when
comparing
multiple
attributes
Exercising (43 percent)
and listening to music
(44 percent) are equally
likely to be used as
stress management
techniques.
Listening to music
is more commonly
mentioned as a stress
management strategy
than napping.
Listening to music
(44 percent) is the
stress management
technique embraced
by the highest
percentage of adults,
followed by exercising
(43 percent).
Listening to music
(44 percent) is done
more frequently than
exercising (43 percent)
when it comes to stress
management.
Adults exercise more
than read to manage
stress (43 percent vs. 36
percent).
Adults prefer listening
to music (44 percent)
over watching TV (40
percent) as a way to
manage stress.
In reporting, use of the
word “frequently” or
“frequency” implies how
often a behavior is done.
This question, as phrased,
measures prevalence (i.e.,
how many people are
doing these activities)
rather than actual
frequency (i.e., how many
times per week or month
they are doing each of
these).
When reporting on
subgroups, we know
that more people from
a particular subsample
(i.e., women) engage in a
behavior as compared to
men. The question does
not address the question
of whether those women
engaging in the behavior
actually do the behavior
more often than men.
It is important to consider
the whole question as it
was asked. As such, results
from this question cannot,
for example, be used to
measure the likelihood of
listening to music overall
— only the likelihood
of listening to music for
the specific purpose of
managing stress.
… when
comparing
subgroups
on individual
attributes
Women (44 percent)
are more likely than
men (26 percent) to say
they read to manage
their stress.
More men (23 percent)
than women (16
percent) play video
games to manage
stress.
Women (44 percent) are
more likely than men (26
percent) to say they read
to manage their stress.
More men (23 percent)
than women (16
percent) play video
games to manage stress.
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
QUESTIONS:
Multiple response
questions measure the
prevalence of attitudes,
behaviors and perceptions.
They provide insight into
a range of behaviors or
attitudes on a specific topic
in question.
They do not necessarily
measure the frequency of
behaviors.
They do not necessarily
measure the strength of an
attitude or perception.
Key Takeaways