Research Topics:

Data Analysis | Data Quality | Questionnaire Analysis

Content Type:

Glossary

Biased Question Definition

An interview question that is phrased or expressed in such a way that it influences the respondent’s opinion and answer.

In marketing research, a biased question is formulated in a way that influences or skews a response. Those influences can lead to inaccurate or skewed data. It’s also considered a biased question when it’s expressed in a way that influences a particular answer or opinion. Biased questions can stem from the wording, tone or context of the question. They can inadvertently guide respondents towards a particular response.

Who should I care about a biased question?

While researchers, survey creators and analysts do not intentionally create biased questions, bias exists for a variety of several reasons. Researchers may not be aware of the potential impact of their question wording on respondent answers. Researchers can use a variety a methods to reduce bias, such as double-blind testing, randomized control trials (RCTs), focus groups and interviews with experts and industry professionals

Biased questions in market research lead to inaccurate or misleading data, which results in flawed insights and decisions. For business, biased responses can lead to misguided strategies, product development and marketing efforts. Researchers who work to reduce unbiased questions can help studies to obtain reliable and actionable results.