Leading question
Topic: Economic Data: Census, NSS, Surveys and Statistical Tools · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "Collection of Data"
Meaning
A leading question is worded in a way that hints at the answer the asker wants. It pushes respondents towards one reply, so the data become biased. Good questionnaires avoid such questions and use neutral wording.
Example
NCERT's example is "How do you like the flavour of this high-quality tea?" The words "high-quality" already suggest a good answer. A neutral version is "How do you like the flavour of this tea?"
Don't confuse with
- Question that suggests alternatives: this offers only a narrow set of choices, e.g. "a job after college or be a housewife?" A leading question instead hints at which answer is right.
Related concepts
- Primary data
- Secondary data
- Survey
- Variable
- Observation
- Questionnaire
- Enumerator
- Informant
- Closed-ended question
- Open-ended question