{"id":1988,"slug":"schwarz-1985-scale-anchoring-tv","title":"Schwarz et al. 1985 — response-option ranges leak information and anchor the answer","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","candid-team"],"topics":["survey-question-design"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** Schwarz, Hippler, Deutsch & Strack (1985, *Public Opinion Quarterly*) showed respondents reading a TV-use scale centered on **low** values reported less usage (and rated TV more important) than those given a **high**-value scale — respondents **infer the \"normal\" value from the scale and anchor to it.**\n\n**Source:** Schwarz et al. 1985, POQ. Foundational.\n\n**Confidence:** Verified.\n\n**Why this matters for Candid:** Vague-quantifier bands (\"often / sometimes / rarely\") leak norms and bias the answer. Use OPEN numeric counts where the owner can read them off a screen, or behaviorally realistic bands when they must estimate (e.g., review counts 0 / 1-9 / 10-49 / 50-199 / 200+ matches what owners actually see on their GBP).","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-smb-widget-capture-layer-june-2026","title":"Research brief: SMB widget capture layer — what owners can vs cannot self-report (June 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-06-23T19:16:00.860Z","updated_at":"2026-06-23T19:16:00.860Z"}