Scale Slider question properties

Set the appearance and behavior of Scale Slider questions.

Show Scalar Value

This option lets you show or hide each scalar value from participants. Select the check box to show a scalar value and clear it to hide a scalar value.

The image below illustrates how the Show Scalar Value property translates from the Authoring Workspace into the participant view.

Note: If you show all scalar values, be sure to preview the question. If your scalar values are five digits long and you show between 18 and 25 of them, they will overlap and be unreadable if you show all of them.

Scale labels when over 5 values

If you create a question with more than five scale values, only the rightmost and leftmost scale labels (the endpoints) will be shown to participants. Other scale labels will be hidden unless the scale has an odd number of values, in which case the midpoint scale label will also be shown.

The image below illustrates a question with an odd number of labels. Therefore the endpoints and the midpoint labels are shown to participants.

Off-scale columns

You are able to place answer options off the scale for easier and more accurate reporting. Off-scale columns are not assigned a scalar value so they are not included in calculations using scalar values. You can have a maximum of three off-scale columns in a scale slider question.

Note: By default, off-scale precode values start at 99 and work downwards. These values are editable.

Randomize scale direction

You can use this property to randomize the scale direction for a scale slider question. The randomize scale direction property randomly changes the scale direction each time a scale slider is presented to a participant.

Example
The two images below illustrate the randomized scale direction. Image 1 shows the scale direction as authored in the survey, with 1 on the far left and 5 on the far right. Image 2 shows the reversed scale direction, with 5 on the far left and 1 on the far right. The question will be randomly presented in either of these two ways to participants. Notice that the row labels and off-scale column do not change positions. Only the scale direction is reversed. Image 1 Image 2

Example

The two images below illustrate the randomized scale direction. Image 1 shows the scale direction as authored in the survey, with 1 on the far left and 5 on the far right. Image 2 shows the reversed scale direction, with 5 on the far left and 1 on the far right. The question will be randomly presented in either of these two ways to participants.

Notice that the row labels and off-scale column do not change positions. Only the scale direction is reversed.

Image 1

Image 2

Text and/or images on rows

The rows of your scale slider can be blank or they can contain text, images, or both text and images. The images below show the same question with text and images, images only, and row text only.

Blank

Sometimes it is appropriate not to have any text or images on your question rows, particularly when your question consists of a single row.

Text and images

Images only

Text only

Order of rows (randomize or rotate rows)

This property has three options:

As authored: all participants see the rows in the order that they were created.
Randomize: each participant sees a random order of rows.
Rotate each time the question is displayed to participants, the rows are rotated one position up.

Note: By clicking the Lock row position icon, you can lock the position of individual rows. When a row is locked, its position remains the same each time the question is presented. The other rows are rotated or randomized around the locked row.

When you click the Lock row position icon, the icon changes to the locked position.

Required row count

Set to the number of rows that the participant needs to answer in order to move to the next question.

Note: This property overrides the Question completion required property. If you want to ensure that every row is answered, ensure that Required Row Count is blank and Question completion required is selected.

Repeat Header Rows

The Scale Slider question automatically repeats the header row after 8 rows, even when the Repeat Header Rows property is empty.

Position in Block

Under Position in block, select Fixed to maintain the question's current sequential position, or select Use block settings if the question is part of a block that randomizes or rotates questions.