There are many reasons we should avoid questionnaires. It’s actually the questions that are the main culprit.
- Questions tell people what to think about
- Questions change what people think
- Questions inadvertently lead people
- Questions can accidentally sell
- Questions can inadvertently persuade people to like something
- Questions are unable to probe responses
- Questions do not allow for gestures and visual clues
All of which can lead to the artificial reinforcement of existing opinions, mistaking the value of claimed attitudes, inviting the wrong frame of mind, and a set of responses that can’t be trusted.