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Based on standard survey item order principles, where should Dr. Smith place the questions about age, gender, and income, and how does this placement strategy directly address her concern about participant cognitive fatigue?

Case context: Dr. Smith is designing a lengthy survey about political attitudes. The survey includes complex questions about fiscal policy preferences and simple questions asking for the participant's age, gender, and income. Dr. Smith is worried that participants will experience significant cognitive fatigue by the time they reach the final pages of the survey.

Question: Based on standard survey item order principles, where should Dr. Smith place the questions about age, gender, and income, and how does this placement strategy directly address her concern about participant cognitive fatigue?

Sample answer: Dr. Smith should place the questions about age, gender, and income at the very end of the survey. This strategy addresses her concern because these demographic questions are familiar and easy to answer, meaning that participants who are experiencing cognitive fatigue from the earlier, complex policy questions can still complete them effortlessly.

Key points:

  • Age, gender, and income are demographic items
  • Demographic items should be placed at the end of the survey
  • Fatigued participants can still answer easy and familiar questions
  • Complex substantive items should be placed before demographic items

Rubric: The response must accurately identify age, gender, and income as demographic questions, recommend placing them at the end of the survey, and explain that their ease of answering mitigates the negative effects of fatigue.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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KPU

Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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