Have you ever been asked a question that seemed to suggest the answer? That’s what is called in the research world, a leading question. Leading questions suggest a certain answer. They often include assumptions or shape how the person thinks. These types of questions are commonly used in interviews, courtroom settings, sales, and even casual conversations. These questions, however, may have unintended consequences in survey design.
A leading question typically has one or more of the following traits:
Suggests a particular answer – The question contains wording that steers the respondent toward a specific response.
Assumes information – It presupposes facts that may not have been established.
Limits neutrality – This approach does not allow for open-ended answers. It gently pushes the respondent to agree with the question's idea.
Consider these examples:
"You enjoyed the product, didn’t you?" (Encourages a "yes" response.)
"How much did you love our service?" (Assumes the person loved it.)
"Don’t you think this policy is unfair?" (Implies that the policy is unfair.)
"Most experts agree this is the best solution—do you think so too?" (Leverages authority to nudge agreement.)
Conversely, neutral wording of these questions would look like the following:
"What did you think of the product?"
"How would you describe your experience with our service?"
"What are your thoughts on this policy?"
"How do you feel about the available solutions?"
When conducting surveys or research, using leading questions can skew results. If a survey asks, "Do you believe that we provided great customer service?" it assumes the service was great. This can skew the responses towards a positive resposne. A more neutral approach would be: "How would you rate our customer service?"
If you want to gather honest opinions and avoid influencing responses, consider these tips:
Use neutral wording – Frame questions in a way that allows for diverse answers.
Avoid assumptions – Don’t embed preconceived notions in your question.
Ask open-ended questions – Encourage respondents to share their thoughts freely rather than pushing them toward a specific answer. We suggest limiting the number of open-ended responses, however, to keep surveys as short as possible.
Whether in law, marketing, research, or daily conversations, the way you phrase a question can significantly impact the response. By recognizing and avoiding leading questions when necessary, you can encourage more genuine, unbiased discussions and make better-informed decisions.