Multiple Choice Question
Multiple Choice Question: When More Than One Answer Is Correct
A list of options where the respondent can select as many as apply - built for "which of these" questions.
What it is
A multiple choice question displays a list of options from which the respondent can select all that apply, rather than being limited to just one.
When to use it
- More than one answer can genuinely be true at once - features used, channels tried, reasons for a decision
- You want to measure the reach or overlap of several options, not just the single most popular one
- You're mapping a respondent's full experience, not a single preference
Best practices
- Keep the option list focused - long checklists lead to "satisficing", where people just check the first few and stop reading
- Make the instruction explicit - "select all that apply" removes any doubt about whether one or many answers are expected
- Group related options together so respondents can scan the list quickly
- Consider a reasonable minimum or maximum selection if your analysis needs it
Common pitfalls
- Too many options at once produces incomplete, fatigue-driven answers
- Ambiguous wording (not making it clear multiple answers are allowed) pushes respondents to answer like it's single choice
- Order bias still applies - options near the top get picked more often, so vary order for long lists