Schwarz et al. 1985 — response-option ranges leak information and anchor the answer

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.

Source: Schwarz et al. 1985, POQ. Foundational.

Confidence: Verified.

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).