Future research needs to be conducted to determine if requiring the use of a next button provides benefit in terms of data quality for less educated or less computer experienced respondents. However, it is important to note that our sample was highly educated and experienced survey respondents therefore, these results may not generalize to other samples. Missing data, reliability, and mean scale scores were similar across the randomized groups. Time to complete the survey was about 50% longer when respondents were required to use a next button after answering an item to go to the next item. The next button could be used by all participants to skip a question. The next button was included for all conditions but using it to advance to the next question was only required of persons randomized to the 3rd and 4th conditions (see Fig. Participants were randomized to one of four study arms: (1) automatic advance to the next question and no opportunity to go back (auto/no back) (2) automatic advance to the next questions with an opportunity to go back (auto/back) (3) next button to go to the next question and no opportunity to go back (next/no back) or (4) next button to go to the next question with an opportunity to go back (next/back). One item was presented to the study participants on each screen.
Sample items include “I am happy with how much I do for my family,” “I am satisfied with my ability to work (include work at home),” “I am satisfied with my current level of social activity,” and “I am satisfied with my ability to do leisure activities.” These items were preliminary versions of item banks created for the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) project. Sample items include “I am limited in doing my work (include work at home),” “I am able to do all of my regular family activities,” and “I am able to do all of my regular leisure activities.” We also administered 56 items measuring satisfaction with social/role activities using a 5-category not at all to very much response scale. We administered 56 items assessing performance of social/role activities rated on a 5-category never to always response scale. Polimetrix sent out a study invitation to the panel and the first ones to respond were included.
Panel members generally receive about four surveys per year and earn “polling points” that can be redeemed for rewards. We included 807 participants from a national, web-based polling company, Polimetrix (now YouGov Polimetrix, Over one million adult panel members have provided email addresses, contact information, and responses to core profile items in order to receive occasional surveys about a variety of subjects. With this target sample, we would have 80% power to detect a small effect (effect size = 0.28) between two groups. Given the similarity in missing data, reliability and mean scale scores with or without use of the next button, we recommend automatic advancement to the next item with the option to go back to the previous item.īased on power calculations, we targeted a sample of 800 study participants (200 for each of 4 study arms).
Time to complete the survey was about 50% longer when respondents were required to use a next button to go on. We found no difference in missing data, internal consistency reliability, and domain scores by group. Participants were randomly assigned to either (1) automatic advance to the next question with no opportunity to go back (auto/no back) (2) automatic advance to the next questions with an opportunity to go back (auto/back) (3) next button to go to the next question with no opportunity to go back (next/no back) or (4) next button to go to the next question with an opportunity to go back (next/back). MethodsĪ sample of 807 participants (mean age of 53 64% women, 83% non-Hispanic white 81% some college or college graduates) from the YouGov Polimetrix panel was administered 56 items assessing performance of social/role activities and 56 items measuring satisfaction with social/role activities. To assess the impact of including next and back buttons on response burden and measurement reliability of computer-based surveys.
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