Quantitative Survey Questions: Types & Examples

Quantitative Survey Questions: Types & Examples

The type of data you want to collect determines the type of questions you should use in your survey – quantitative or qualitative. 

We’re here to talk about quantitative survey questions. 

Quantitative research questions are objective questions that provide detailed knowledge about a research topic and help analyze trends and patterns to make logical sense of the research topic. 

They allow respondents to answer concisely. In this article, we’ll go over some popular quantitative research questions and the different types of quantitative research questions. 

The data obtained with quantitative research questions is numerical and can be examined statistically.  

It can also be generalized to the entire population and help make data-driven and sound decisions.  

Popular Quantitative Research Questions 

Here are some of the most common quantitative research questions you can use in your quantitative surveys: 

👉How often do you visit an art gallery? 

👉How much do you pay for the hotel’s VIP services? 

👉What differences did you notice between our website and app interface? 

👉What is the effect of social media on self-confidence? 

👉What is the relationship between age and alcohol consumption?  

The best way to create a quantitative survey is by using online survey tools that offer a diverse range of question types. This way you can choose which quantitative question would best serve the purpose of your survey.  

Now let’s dive into the different types of quantitative research questions. 

Different types of quantitative research questions 

There are three types of quantitative research questions. Each of these types helps you gather unique insights. You can determine which research question types to use based on the type of data you want to gather and the research objective.  

  1. Descriptive Research Questions- These questions are used for gathering customers’ opinions about variables one wants to measure. 
  2. Comparative Research Questions- These questions are used for examining the difference between two or more groups based on one or more dependable variables. 
  3. Relationship-based Research Questions- These questions are used for identifying trends, causal relationships, or associations between two or more variables.  

Now, let’s explore the three types of quantitative research questions in detail and look at their examples. 

15 quantitative survey question examples 

Let’s take a look at some examples of quantitative research questions 

1. Descriptive Research Questions 

It simply implies that you want to gather information about variables that you are trying to quantify or measure. Descriptive research questions help gather a customer’s opinion about variables you want to measure. 

These questions mostly begin with- 

  • How much? 

  • What percentage? 

  • How often? 

  • What proportion? 

Descriptive research questions focus mostly on one group and one variable. Rarely do these questions include multiple groups and variables. Here are a few examples of descriptive research questions 

We have shared a few questions that you can use as an inspiration to create your own research question. You can use the following quantitative research question examples for your market research.  

Let’s look at a few examples of quantitative research question types.  

Question 1: How much fast food do Americans consume per week? 

  • Variable: Fast food intake 

  • Group: American 

Question 2: How often do students between the ages of 15 – 18 use Facebook weekly? 

  • Variable: Weekly use of Facebook 

  • Group: Students between ages 15 – 18 

Question 3: How often do male and female university students use a food delivery app monthly? 

  • Variables: Use of food delivery app 

  • Group: 1. Male University students 

  • Female University students 

Question 4: What is the preferred choice of cuisine of the Italians? 

  • Variable: Cuisine 

  • Groups: Italian 

Question 5: What are the important factors influencing the career choice of Asian-American University students? 

  • Variable: Factors influencing career choice 

  • Group: Asian-American University students 

When conducting market research, leverage the best market research software that allows you to reach a global audience across preferred channels.  

2. Comparative Research Question 

Comparative research questions help examine the difference between two or more groups based on one or more dependable variables. The number of variables depends on the need for market research.  

The question asks the respondents, “What is the difference in” a dependent variable between two or more groups? Let’s look at some quantitative research question examples for this type that you can use in competitive analysis.  

Question 1: What is the difference in time spent on video games between people aged 12 to 17 and 18 to 25? 

  • Variable: Time spent on video games 

  • Group 1: People within the age range 12 and 17 

  • Group 2: People within the age range 18 and 25 

Question 2: What is the difference in attitude towards online shopping between millennial adults and Adults born before 1980? 

  • Variable: Attitude towards online shopping 

  • Group 1: Millennial adults 

  • Group 2: Adults born before 1980 

Question 3: What is the difference in the attitude towards politics between Mexicans and Americans in America? 

  • Variable: Attitude towards Politics 

  • Group 1: Mexicans in America 

  • Groups 2: Americans in America 

Question 4: What is the difference in the usage of Snapchat between Canadian male and female university students? 

  • Variable: usage of Snapchat 

  • Group 1: Canadian Male University student 

  • Group 2: Canadian Female University student 

Question 5: What is the difference in attitude toward rock music between Gen-Z and Millennials? 

  • Variables: Attitude toward rock music 

  • Group 1: Gen-Z 

  • Group 2: Millennials 

3. Relationship-based Research Questions 

Relationship-based research questions are the best quantitative research question examples when you need to identify trends, causal relationships, or associations between two or more variables.  

When using the term relationship in statistics, it is important to remember that it refers to experimental research design.  

In this case, examining the cause and effect between two variables is possible. This means it is possible to say which variable was responsible for the effect on the other variable.  

However, when you use relationship-based research questions, you do not have to distinguish between causal relationships, trends, or associations.  

The question in this type begins with “What is the relationship” between or amongst independent and dependent variables, amongst or between two or more groups?  

Let’s look at a few examples of quantitative research question types.  

Question 1: What is the relationship between gender and attitude towards romantic movies amongst Middle-aged people? 

  • Dependent Variable: Attitude towards romantic movies 

  • Independent Variables: Gender 

  • Group: Middle-aged people 

Question 2: What is the relationship between age and fast food preference in Australia? 

  • Dependent Variable: Fast Food preference 

  • Independent Variable: Age 

  • Group: Australia 

Question 3: What is the relationship between age and lifestyle among women? 

  • Dependent Variable: Lifestyle 

  • Independent Variable: Age 

  • Group: Women 

Question 4: What is the relationship between Salary and Job satisfaction among people working in the corporate business? 

  • Dependent Variable: Job satisfaction 

  • Independent Variable: Salary 

  • Group: People working in corporate business 

Question 5: What is the relationship between University degrees and Job positions amongst employees in Multinational Companies? 

  • Dependent Variable: Job position 

  • Independent Variable: University Degree 

  • Group: Employees in a Multinational Company 

This quantitative research question example can help you help segment customers based on their shared characteristics. Leverage a data analysis platform that enables you to identify patterns between responses and help you group customers with similar attributes.  

This way, you can create unique customer profiles and personalized campaigns that appeal to each customer.  

When can you use Quantitative Research Questions? 

Here are a few cases when you can use quantitative research questions.  

1. When exploring the relationship between quantitative variables.  

What is the relationship between students’ play time and their health?  

This is an example of a quantitative research question where you intended to identify the relation between the variables of students’ health and their playtime.  

2. When comparing different groups.  

Is there any significant difference in the satisfaction level between software A and software B?  

This is a quantitative research question example where you explore the difference in satisfaction between two variables.  

3. When evaluating trends and patterns.  

How has the purchase frequency changed over the fourth quarter of the year? 

This is an example of a quantitative research question where you uncover the trend or changes in purchase frequency over time.  

4. When conducting large-scale surveys.  

Quantitative questions are valuable when you intend to conduct large-scale surveys targeting a wide range of participants. It allows a standardized and systematic approach to data collection and analysis, enabling you to draw meaningful conclusions.  

How to Write Good Quantitative Survey Questions? 

Follow the steps listed below to design quantitative survey questions: 

Step 1: Choose the type of quantitative survey question   

Select a type that corresponds to the survey’s goal. The kind of answers given by respondents are determined by the type of question posed.  

Step 2: Identify the target group as well as dependent and independent variables 

The next step is to choose the target audience and the variables to be measured. Variables can be categorized into 4 types: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio.  

Step 3: Give a proper structure to the survey  

After the first 2 points have been taken care of, it is now time to structure the survey such that it is uncomplicated. Simple and unambiguous wordings should be used to frame the questions. 

That’s all! 

This sums up our article on quantitative research question examples. You can use these question types to create interactive market research surveys that provide meaningful insights. You can choose to use these questions separately or together in a survey depending on your research goal.  

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