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Question Wording Effects Simulator

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About This MicroSim

"My tail's tingling—we're onto something important here!" Sylvia exclaims. "The exact same policy question can get wildly different results depending on how you phrase it. Watch closely!"

This interactive simulation demonstrates response bias caused by question wording. Students explore how the same underlying topic can generate very different "public opinion" results based solely on word choice.

The Power of Framing

Framing Type Strategy Effect on Responses
Neutral Plain, factual language Baseline response
Positive Appeals to shared values Increases support
Negative Highlights downsides, uses loaded terms Decreases support

How to Use

  1. Select a Topic (Environmental Policy, School Rules, Technology Use, or Free Speech)
  2. Choose a Framing (Neutral, Positive, or Negative)
  3. Click "Send Survey" to see simulated results
  4. Compare the same question with different framings
  5. Click "Compare All" to see all three versions side-by-side

What to Notice

  • The highlighted keywords show which words create the framing effect
  • The swing between positive and negative framing can be 40+ percentage points!
  • The underlying opinion doesn't change—only how we asked

Key Concepts

Types of Problematic Questions

Type Problem Example
Leading Suggests an answer "Don't you agree that...?"
Loaded Emotionally charged words "Wasteful spending"
Double-barreled Asks two things at once "Do you support X and Y?"
Confusing Uses jargon "Pedagogical methodologies"

"Watch how the words shift responses," Sylvia explains:

  • "Protecting children" vs. "Restricting freedom"
  • "Safeguards" vs. "Burdensome regulations"
  • "Managing distractions" vs. "Banning devices"

Real-World Impact

Classic examples of wording effects:

Topic Version A Version B Difference
Welfare "Aid to the poor" (68% support) "Welfare" (48% support) 20 points
Abortion "Woman's right to choose" "Unborn child's right to life" Varies widely
Immigration "Undocumented immigrants" "Illegal aliens" Significant

Embedding This MicroSim

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<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/statistics-course/sims/question-wording-effects/main.html" height="502px" width="100%" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Lesson Plan

Learning Objectives

By the end of this activity, students will be able to:

  1. Identify leading, loaded, and double-barreled questions
  2. Explain how word choice affects survey responses
  3. Rewrite biased questions in neutral form
  4. Critically evaluate survey questions for potential bias

Target Audience

  • AP Statistics students (high school)
  • Introductory statistics college students
  • Research methods and survey design courses
  • Media literacy education

Prerequisites

  • Understanding of response bias concept
  • Awareness that surveys can be manipulated
  • Basic critical thinking skills

Classroom Activities

Activity 1: Spot the Bias (10 minutes)

For each pair, identify which is more neutral:

  1. "Do you support reducing class sizes?" vs. "Do you support wasting taxpayer money on smaller classes?"

  2. "Should the government restrict free speech?" vs. "Should harmful content be regulated online?"

  3. "Do you support gun safety measures?" vs. "Do you support gun control laws?"

Activity 2: Rewrite Workshop (15 minutes)

Students rewrite biased questions neutrally:

  1. "Don't you agree the new policy is unfair?"
  2. "Should we ban dangerous junk food in schools?"
  3. "Do you support helping struggling families and reducing child poverty?"

Activity 3: Design Your Own (15 minutes)

Students create three versions of a question on a school topic: - Neutral version - Version designed to increase support - Version designed to decrease support

Discussion Questions

  1. Why might a pollster intentionally use biased wording?
  2. How can you identify bias when reading poll results in the news?
  3. Should there be standards for how political polls are worded?
  4. Is it possible to write a completely neutral question?

Assessment Questions

  1. A poll asks: "Should the government eliminate wasteful programs and reduce the bloated federal bureaucracy?" Identify two examples of loaded language.

  2. Rewrite this double-barreled question as two separate neutral questions: "Do you support increasing teacher pay and reducing administrative costs?"

  3. Why might the same polling organization get different results on the same topic depending on who commissioned the poll?

  4. A news headline says "78% of Americans support environmental protection." What information would you need to evaluate this claim?

References