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The Effects of Open-Ended Probes on Closed Survey Questions in Web Surveys

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  • Patricia Hadler

Abstract

Probes are follow-ups to survey questions used to gain insights on respondents’ understanding of and responses to these questions. They are usually administered as open-ended questions, primarily in the context of questionnaire pretesting. Due to the decreased cost of data collection for open-ended questions in web surveys, researchers have argued for embedding more open-ended probes in large-scale web surveys. However, there are concerns that this may cause reactivity and impact survey data. The study presents a randomized experiment in which identical survey questions were run with and without open-ended probes. Embedding open-ended probes resulted in higher levels of survey break off, as well as increased backtracking and answer changes to previous questions. In most cases, there was no impact of open-ended probes on the cognitive processing of and response to survey questions. Implications for embedding open-ended probes into web surveys are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Patricia Hadler, 2025. "The Effects of Open-Ended Probes on Closed Survey Questions in Web Surveys," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 54(1), pages 106-139, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:somere:v:54:y:2025:i:1:p:106-139
    DOI: 10.1177/00491241231176846
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