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Single Choice Grid questions

Lisa Wong
Updated

Single Choice Grid questions ask participants to select one answer each for a series of question items.

Single Choice Grids offer the following display options:

  • Grid (or Table in modern view)
  • Sliders
  • Cards
  • Carousel (modern only)

Although these display options are different from the participant's perspective, they appear as Single Choice Grid questions in reporting, and their data is treated identically.

Grid

Ask participants to rate a group of items using the same, discrete criteria. This is the base display option for Single Choice Grid questions and is available to mobile and desktop participants.

Modern view

In a modern survey, selecting Table: Button will display the question as a grid with buttons to desktop participants.

Modern survey (desktop):

Classic view

For desktop participants, items appear as rows while criteria appear as columns, and participants may only select one criterion for each row. For mobile participants, items appear as collapsible sections containing criteria, and participants may only select one criterion in each section.

Tip: If you plan to include many items in your grid, repeat your column labels to ensure your participants can always view your scale. For more information, see Repeat column labels.

Example

Classic survey (desktop):

Classic survey (mobile):

Sliders

Single Choice Grid Sliders questions ask participants to use sliders to select one scalar answer each for a series of question items.

With Single Choice Grid Sliders, you can:

  • Include off-scale answers
  • Show automatically generated values for your scale

Use sliders when asking participants to rate items on a numbered scale. Your answer text will ensure participants understand the meaning of the scale numbers.

Tip: Sliders allow you to highlight Don't know or Not applicable answers by placing them off-scale.

Modern view

In a modern survey, selecting Table: Slider will display the question as a slider grid to desktop participants.

Modern survey (desktop):

Classic view

The slider display is available to desktop participants only; mobile participants will see the Grid display.

If you create a question with more than five on-scale answer options, only the rightmost and leftmost answer text (the endpoints) will appear to participants. Other answer text will be hidden unless the scale has an odd number of answers, in which case the midpoint answer text will also be shown.

Sliders example

Classic survey (desktop):

Note: On mobile devices, Single Choice Grid Sliders questions are displayed as Single Choice Grid questions.

Cards (Classic)

Note: The information here applies to Card Sort in classic surveys only. In modern surveys, Card Sort is its own question type rather than a display option for Single Choice Grids. For more information, see Card Sort questions in modern surveys.

Single Choice Grid Cards questions ask participants to classify a series of cards according to answer categories.

This display for Single Choice Grid questions is available to desktop participants only; mobile participants who access Single Choice Grid Cards questions will see the Grid display with images.

Use Cards when you want participants to sort a large number of items into discrete groups. Cards begin in a stack, and participants can focus on one item at a time, regardless of how many cards you ask them to sort. This display option is also useful when including lengthy attitudinal statements or images as these items appear more clearly than in a Grid display.

Tip: To ensure you collect the most accurate data, limit the number of categories in your question to five. If you include more than five categories, some will only be visible through scrolling. As a result, your data may suffer from bias towards the visible categories.

Cards example

Classic survey (desktop):

Classic survey (mobile):

On mobile devices, Single Choice Grid Cards questions are displayed as Single Choice Grid questions with images.

Carousel (Button or Slider)

In a modern survey, Carousel: Button and Carousel: Slider are available as display options for desktop participants. Carousel is also the default display option whenever:
  • Participants are on mobile devices.
  • There are 7+ columns and the screen is less than 900 pixels wide.
  • There are 12 columns and the screen is less than 1280 pixels wide.
  • You are viewing Grid questions in survey preview and your screen isn't wide enough. To preview them as grids, get a test activity link.
In a carousel, one grid row appears at a time as a statement card. Participants answer each card. When an answer is provided, the statement card automatically slide transitions to the next one. Navigation buttons and the bottom panel allow participants to navigate between cards. The bottom panel also shows which cards are completed (completed cards appear with a green check mark). Participants can click the incomplete cards to open them directly and respond. Alternately, when participants click Next, they are brought back to the first incomplete card if the number of complete cards is less than what is required. They must complete all the cards before they can proceed.

Modern survey (mobile):

Large Grid questions in modern surveys

In Grid questions with many rows, the column headers are sticky as participants scroll up and down.

In wide Grid questions, up to 7 columns can be displayed in a screen that's 900 pixels wide. If there are more than 7 columns or the screen is narrower than 900 pixels, the grid automatically converts to a carousel.

In extra-wide Grid questions, up to 12 columns can be displayed in a screen that's 1280 pixels wide. If the screen is narrower than 1280 pixels, the grid automatically converts to a carousel.

Note: Wide and extra-wide Grid questions may appear as carousels in the survey preview if your screen isn't wide enough. To preview them as grids, get a test activity link.

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