Question

What do you think about the following questions? Do you find any problem with these questions? Describe.

Accepted Answer

The questions presented contain several problems related to questionnaire design, specifically regarding precision, leading phrasing, and the order of questions. First, question (i) 'How far do you live from the closest market?' is not precise and clear. The term 'how far' is ambiguous because it does not specify the unit of measurement, such as kilometers or walking distance, making it difficult for the respondent to provide an accurate answer. Second, questions (ii) and (iii) are leading questions. Question (ii) 'If plastic bags are only 5 per cent of our garbage, should it be banned?' provides a clue by stating the statistic 'only 5 per cent', which influences the respondent's answer. Similarly, question (iii) 'Wouldn't you be opposed to increase in price of petrol?' suggests a specific answer, similar to the example 'Don't you think smoking should be prohibited?' provided in the text, which biases the response. Third, questions (iv) and (v) violate the rule that the series of questions should move from general to specific. The context suggests that general questions (like 'Is the electricity supply regular?') should precede specific opinions (like 'Is increase in charges justified?'). Here, question (iv) asks for an opinion ('Do you agree...') before establishing the general fact of usage in question (v) ('Do you use...'). This order is incorrect; the factual question (v) should precede the opinion question (iv). Additionally, question (iv) is vague as it asks for…

Explanation

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