Schneider & Stone 2016 — caveat: vague quantifiers can sometimes match open numeric formats

Claim: Honest exception to the open-counts-over-vague-quantifiers rule. Some studies (e.g., Schneider & Stone 2016 on quality-of-life scales) find vague quantifiers ("often / sometimes / rarely") can sometimes MATCH open numeric formats when exact counts are hard to retrieve. The advantage of open numerics depends on whether the count is actually knowable.

Source: Schneider & Stone 2016. Mixed-evidence counterpoint.

Confidence: Single-source / Mixed-evidence.

Why this matters for Candid: The widget rule remains: use COUNTS when the owner can read them off a screen (R7 — When the owner can read a number off a screen, have them do so); use realistic bands when they must estimate from memory. This honest exception is why we do not say "always use open numerics" — the right format depends on retrievability.