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Randomising answers in consecutive multiple choice questions

  • alpaalpa
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1 day 22 hours ago #270545 by alpaalpa
LimeSurvey version: Community Edition Version 6.13.3+250512 
Own server or LimeSurvey Cloud: own server
Survey theme/template: doesn't matter
==================
I have an interesting observation regarding randomisation of answer options for 'Multiple Choice' type question.

I have two consecutive Multiple Choice questions with the same list of answer choices.  I have enabled 'random order' for the answer choice.  It is working more or less as expected.  However, I have discovered that teh way the two questions are randomised are exactly the same (for the same survey taker).  The list will be in different order for another survey taker.   

I think this is a bug.  I would expect (hoping) that the list would be different for the two questions.

This is totally re-producible.  See enclosed 'lss' file.  Any way to 'fix' this? 

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  • alpaalpa
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1 day 21 hours ago #270546 by alpaalpa
Answering my own question. Just discussed with a colleague. This is actually the preferred behaviour. I can see there reasons why this is the case. But, would like the flexibility to randomise the same list differently in different part of the same survey (for the same survey taker). Anyway to override this?

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  • Joffm
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1 day 21 hours ago #270547 by Joffm
Yes, this behavior has been known for a long time.

I wouldn't consider it a bug, but rather a very useful feature.
It's not for nothing that many customer requirements state "Randomize; maintain this order throughout the entire survey."

Why do you use randomization?
To eliminate bias.
If all participants see the same order and you assume a tendency in their clicking behavior, the results will be distorted.
So you try to show each participant a different order.

But with the same participant, such behavior would only lead to confusion—or resentment.
If I saw something like this:
Q1
Elephant
Ant
Chinchilla
Beaver
Dromedary

Q2
Dromedary
Beaver
Ant
Elephant
Chinchilla

It would personally upset me, I would complain about the programmer, etc.
Because it makes sense that—if the items are the same—they always appear in the same order.
The participant will then be used to it.

And if the items are different, no one but you knows that the internal order is always the same.   

Well, you already know, why this behavioue is useful.

And, if you still insist in getting different orders, you can use javascript to define an order and then use it in a question.

Joffm

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  • tpartner
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1 day 15 hours ago #270554 by tpartner
Not a bug, it is intentional. If you want different randomization, use different sub-question codes.

Cheers,
Tony Partner

Solutions, code and workarounds presented in these forums are given without any warranty, implied or otherwise.

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