Survey Question Tip #3 - Avoid multiple negatives

Writing a good survey question is not as easy as it seems. Use the wrong word or ask the question in the wrong way and you can negatively impact the quality and value of the data you collect. This post is the third in a series that will offer tips on how to write effective survey questions. 

​Tip #3:  Avoid multiple negatives   
Most respondents find questions with more than one negative word confusing. This confusion can lead a respondent to answer a question carelessly, thereby reducing data quality. Let’s look at an example of a question with more than one negative word:

Let's say you work in the marketing department of a technology company. You are asked to develop a survey that will measure customer satisfaction with a new product called ‘zyx’. One question on the survey asks respondents to answer 'yes' or 'no' to the following:
​
I am not dissatisfied with 'zyx'.
(a) Yes  
(b) No   

If a respondent were reading the question quickly, they may skip over the word not and provide an answer opposite to what they intended. Revise statements or questions containing more than one negative word to clarify the question's meaning and reduce errors. For example, the question above could be rephrased as:

I am satisfied with 'zyx'.
(a) Yes  
(b) No   

​​Remember, an effective survey question should not contain more than one negative word.