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Introduction to Survey Scale Design: What Score Should I Give This Question?

Making your first questionnaire? Try changing both the question and the way it is answered. A 43-slide interactive introduction comparing items, scales, and response tools.

For beginning social science researchers and graduate students who are unsure how to design a questionnaire · Hallym University Media School, graduate program · Communication Research Methods II · October 13, 2026 · 2026.10.13

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Opening slide of the survey-scale design class: What score should I give this question?

What this project covers

  • Distinguish liking AI, frequency of use, and confidence in using it.
  • Try radio buttons, sliders, matrices, XY grids, and other response tools, then judge their fit with the question.
  • Split double-barreled questions and choose candidate items and response scales for a single concept.

Presentation outline

Expand the full outline
  1. Start here if you are making your first questionnaire
  2. 01. What score should I give this question?
  3. 02. What if you like AI but lack confidence in creating materials?
  4. A. A high score (5)
  5. B. A low score (1)
  6. C. The middle score (3)
  7. 03. What does “I like it” measure?
  8. A. Liking
  9. B. Frequency of use
  10. C. Confidence in creating materials
  11. 04. What does “how many of the past seven days” measure?
  12. A. Liking
  13. B. Frequency of use
  14. C. Confidence in creating materials
  15. 05. What does “I can make it” measure?
  16. A. Actual production ability
  17. B. Plans for future use
  18. C. Confidence in creating materials
  19. 06. An item needs a response scale.
  20. 07. One coffee, but three drinks were ordered?
  21. A. Radio buttons
  22. B. Checkboxes
  23. C. Dropdown
  24. Hints to consider one at a time
  25. 08. What if I use both ChatGPT and Gemini?
  26. A. Radio buttons
  27. B. Checkboxes
  28. C. Usage slider
  29. Hints to consider one at a time
  30. 09. What is 1.7 between an iPhone and a Galaxy?
  31. A. Slider
  32. B. XY grid
  33. C. Radio buttons
  34. Hints to consider one at a time
  35. 10. Eight days of use in the past seven days?
  36. A. Number without an upper limit
  37. B. Slider from 0 to 7 days
  38. C. Numeric input from 0 to 7 days
  39. Hints to consider one at a time
  40. 11. Both use seven points. Are A and C opposites?
  41. A. Seven-point agreement with “dislike”
  42. B. Yes / No
  43. C. Direct dislike ↔ like rating
  44. Hints to consider one at a time
  45. 12. A score of 4: neutral, unsure, or unwilling to answer?
  46. A. Forced seven-point choice
  47. B. Separate do-not-know option
  48. C. Remove the midpoint
  49. Hints to consider one at a time
  50. 13. Can one sex/gender question give us two kinds of information?
  51. A. Male / Female
  52. B. Add “biological”
  53. C. Ask about identity separately
  54. Hints to consider one at a time
  55. 14. A monthly income of KRW 3 million fits two boxes?
  56. A. Overlapping bands
  57. B. Nonoverlapping bands
  58. C. Enter a number directly
  59. Hints to consider one at a time
  60. 15. How should we repair this item?
  61. A. Use it as it is
  62. B. Shorten it to “I am good at using AI”
  63. C. Separate liking from production confidence
  64. 16. Same people, different score distributions.
  65. The same 12 fictional respondents
  66. 17. Split the question to reveal different judgments.
  67. 18. What can the graph alone tell us?
  68. A. Everyone really is neutral
  69. B. It must be a double-barreled question
  70. C. The distribution alone cannot establish the reason
  71. 19. All three matter. Must one come last?
  72. A. Ranking
  73. B. Rate each separately
  74. C. Choose exactly one
  75. Hints to consider one at a time
  76. 20. The budget is 100, but the total is 180?
  77. A. Allocate a total of 100
  78. B. Rate each from 0 to 100
  79. C. Rank only
  80. Hints to consider one at a time
  81. 21. Does putting items in a table make them one scale?
  82. A. Matrix table
  83. B. One slider for everything
  84. C. Check applicable attributes
  85. Hints to consider one at a time
  86. 22. Does the AI’s tone feel cold or warm?
  87. A. Seven-point bipolar scale
  88. B. Five stars
  89. C. Five-point agreement
  90. Hints to consider one at a time
  91. 23. One star for delivery: bad taste or late arrival?
  92. A. Overall satisfaction stars
  93. B. Attribute satisfaction matrix
  94. C. Likelihood to recommend, 0–10
  95. Hints to consider one at a time
  96. 24. Both are 9. Are they the same score?
  97. A. Recommendation from 0 to 10
  98. B. Production confidence from 0 to 10
  99. C. Satisfaction from 1 to 5
  100. Hints to consider one at a time
  101. 25. Sleepy, but the class is interesting. Where do I click?
  102. A. Single-line slider
  103. B. XY response grid
  104. C. Two-row ratings
  105. Hints to consider one at a time
  106. 26. “Half-price tuition!” Where did you click first?
  107. A. Select an image location
  108. B. Interest slider
  109. C. Radio buttons for regions
  110. Hints to consider one at a time
  111. 27. “I have never lied in my entire life.” Really?
  112. A. Five-point agreement
  113. B. Yes / No
  114. C. Narrow the behavior and period
  115. Hints to consider one at a time
  116. 28. “The professor’s class is easy and fun, right?”
  117. A. A single star rating
  118. B. Two rows: difficulty and interest
  119. C. Yes / No
  120. Hints to consider one at a time
  121. 29. I did not touch the slider, but it says 50?
  122. A. Slider from 0 to 100
  123. B. Five-point radio buttons
  124. C. Number from 0 to 100
  125. Hints to consider one at a time
  126. 30. Satisfaction with a service I have never used?
  127. A. Mandatory 1–5 response
  128. B. Add not applicable
  129. C. Experience screening question
  130. Hints to consider one at a time
  131. 31. What do we want to know today?
  132. A. Every positive trait related to AI
  133. B. Confidence in using AI to draft teaching materials
  134. C. Frequency of AI use and quality of outputs
  135. 32. Does ending with “I can” make every item the same?
  136. A. I can use AI to color-correct video
  137. B. I can use AI every day
  138. C. I can draft classroom examples suited to students’ level
  139. 33. Keep one judgment in one item.
  140. A. I feel positive and confident about using AI
  141. B. I can ask AI to draft an explanation suited to my class topic
  142. C. I like AI / I use AI often
  143. 34. “Good at” evokes different situations for different people.
  144. A. I can use AI very effectively
  145. B. I can use AI better than other instructors
  146. C. I can ask AI to draft an explanation suited to my class topic
  147. 35. A plausible item—but is it our question?
  148. A. If the first result does not fit, I can revise the request to obtain the draft I need
  149. B. What percentage of AI drafts did you fact-check in the past seven days?
  150. C. I think using AI will increase satisfaction with my classes
  151. 36. Choose three candidates for the same concept.
  152. Candidate 1
  153. Candidate 2
  154. Candidate 3
  155. Candidate 4
  156. Candidate 5
  157. Candidate 6
  158. 37. The response scale must also match confidence.
  159. A. Days of use: 0–7 days
  160. B. Confidence: 0–10 (eleven integers)
  161. C. Liking: 1 Dislike very much–5 Like very much
  162. 38. Apply what you learned to new items.
  163. Check 1
  164. A. Yes, because useful means safe
  165. B. Split them because they are different judgments
  166. C. It is short, so there is no problem
  167. Check 2
  168. A. No. Assess performance separately
  169. B. Yes. People know themselves best
  170. C. Three items establish actual ability
  171. Check 3
  172. A. Calculate the average and validation is complete
  173. B. Ask AI to approve them and we are done
  174. C. Examine the original scale and respondents’ understanding
  175. 39. In research, start by examining suitable existing scales.
  176. 40. Good numbers begin with answerable questions.
  177. 41. Moving together does not establish causation.
  178. 42. Sources and the scope of today’s examples
  179. 43. Sources for response tools and demographic items

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