[[Slider]]
SoSci Survey
Translations of this page:
 

Slider

This question type is based on the slider control on a mixing console: the participant can move a button within a defined range. Both the range and the button can be freely customized. This is what makes the slider a multifacted question type – it allows the participant to use visually appealing scale formats, sophisticated setting measurements (see VAS below), a thermometer or a ladder to indicate their level of preference.

 Examples of Sliders

The slider can be used as a continuous scale (normally a range of 1 to 101) or a certain number of levels can be specified.

Note: Sliders are displayed in the questionnaire using JavaScript. If the participant has deactivated JavaScript, the programme shows an alternative display with 11 selection fields – if a lower differentiation was specified in the question, fewer fields will be shown.

Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)

You can find a special form of slider in the question templates: the visual analogue scale. This type of slider is made up of a plain line and respondents indicate their answer by moving the mouse pointer to the desired position on the slider.

As a rule, analogue scales provide more accurate data than the classic 5 or 7-point scales. They are also well-suited for bringing diversification into the questionnaire. However, the response time for each item is twice as long as when a 5-point scale is used.

User-Defined Slider

Each slider consists of two components: a scale (the background) and the slider button (the part that moves). For both components, there is a range of graphics ready to choose from, which can be selected in Graphic for scale and Graphic for slider button.

If you use the predefined scales, as a rule, you do not have to worry where to place the slider button. This will be automatically adjusted.

There is also the option to use your own graphics as a scale and/or slider button:

  • Save the respective graphics in a format suitable for the internet (PNG, see Using Pictures).
    • Make sure the graphics have the correct pixel dimensions. For example, if a slider should fill the total width of a questionnaire with a width of 600 pixels, then the graphic for the scale must also be 600 pixels wide — maybe even a little narrower so that the labels have space.
    • A scale can have room for a “don't know” option, but this is not essential.
    • You can also insert text/labels in the scales. However, preferably, you should label the minimum, maximum and “don't know” options in the tab Anchors so that the questionnaire remains accessible (normally text in graphics cannot be read by a screen reader)
    • Following this, load the file(s) in Image and Media Files in your project overview. Note down the file names (pay attention to upper/lower case!).
  • In a “Slider” question type you can now select the option “use own scale graphic” in Graphic for scale and enter the file name of the uploaded file to the right. After saving, SoSci Survey should set the Scale metrics (i.e. the size in pixels) automatically. The same goes for the slider button.
  • After this, you still have to define the correct position of the slider button. To do so, specify where the slider button should be located at minimum position, maximum position and – if provided in the scale – where the “don't know” option can be selected.
    • The slider button can move horizontally, vertically or diagonally – depending on where minimum and maximum are located.
    • Previewing the questionnaire (directly beneath the metrics) helps to find the correct positioning. Here, the slider button is shown in all three positions at once. If necessary, the correct values have to be determined by trial and error.
    • The width of the three positions controls the labeling. This determines how much space the label placed above the scale is given – provided that a label is given in the tab Anchors.
  • If the slider should not allow a continuous movement between minimum and maximum, but rather only for certain levels, enter the respective value (max. 20 for discrete steps) for the Differentiation.
  • After saving, you can test out the slider in the Preview of the question below straightaway.

Literature

Funke, Frederik. (2010). Internet-based measurement with visual analogue scales: An experimental investigation (Internetbasierte Messungen mit visuellen Analogskalen: Eine experimentelle Untersuchung). Dissertation. Available online

en/create/questions/slider.txt · Last modified: 28.11.2014 11:54 by alexander.ritter
 
Except where otherwise noted, content on this wiki is licensed under the following license: CC Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
Driven by DokuWiki