Question Order Bias

Also known as: Order Effect, Context Effect, Primacy/Recency Effect

Survey response distortion caused by the order questions are presented, activating cognitive frames that influence subsequent responses.

Question Order Bias (or Order Effect) is a systematic distortion in survey responses caused by the order in which questions are presented. A prior question can activate certain cognitive frames, emotions, or reference points that influence how the respondent interprets and answers subsequent questions.

Classic examples: asking about government satisfaction before asking about overall life satisfaction tends to reduce general wellbeing evaluations; asking about a specific brand before asking about purchase intentions can artificially activate that brand's consideration.

Mitigations: randomize the order of questions or question blocks between respondents, place specific brand questions after questions about the general category, and put behavioral questions before attitudinal questions.