Double-barreled question are among the most common problems encountered in questionnaires. Here is an example:
On a scale of 1 to 10 how much do you like ice cream and hot dogs?
If you think for a moment about what is wrong with this question, it becomes evident that it may not be possible to answer it. If, for example, I like hot dogs a lot but hate ice cream, how do I answer the question? Hot dogs might be a 10 and ice cream a 1. More subtle examples of this problem can be found routinely in questionnaires. If I ask, “does your company provide health insurance and a pension plan?” the answer may not be yes or no, because a company might provide one, but not the other.
Watch the video here from Brittani Libring to learn more about double-barreled questions and how to avoid including them in your surveys and questionnaires.