Check All That Apply

The check-all-that-apply question format presents respondents with multiple response options to a single question, as shown in Figure 1.

In response to the question, the respondents are instructed to select as many of the response options as are perceived to apply to them. Although the check-all-that-apply question format is commonly used in survey questionnaires, research has shown that it can result in a less than optimal response strategy by respondents and may be especially sensitive to primacy effects when the question is asking about past experiences, behaviors, or attitudes.

Figure 1 Check all that apply

When evaluating a list of response options to a check-all-that-apply question, respondents may strive for satis-ficing and burden avoidance. For example, respondents may select only the first of several reasonably acceptable response ...