One of the most common pitfalls people experience when taking surveys is Speed Traps. No, you won’t get a speeding ticket. But researchers are monitoring how quickly you move through questions in a survey. Researchers need the results of their studies to accurately represent how the larger population feels about the topic being studied. So, if you are not taking the time to read questions carefully, it can invalidate their results of their survey.
You're Getting Rated
Similar to how everyone has a secret rating on Uber representing how good of an Uber passenger you are, when you take surveys, you will secretly be graded on the quality of your responses. If you answer surveys in a high quality way, you will start to get access to better paying and more interesting surveys. Conversely, speeding is the #1 way for your quality score to go down, which can lead to the number of surveys you are eligible for getting restricted.
Other Downsides to Speeding
When you answer questions too fast, you can be kicked out of a survey part-way. You could also finish the survey but end up being informed that you did not qualify for compensation because you went too fast.
Question Consistency
In addition to the speeding checks, researchers also implement Consistency Checks in their surveys. It’s best to simply answer every question truthfully and to make sure you read questions carefully. Sometimes you will be asked a question that you thought you were asked before but which is actually phrased slightly differently. Based on the different phrasing, you might actually need to give a different response. But if you’re not careful, you could answer the question in a way that is not consistent. Answering questions inconsistently is another way that your quality scores can go down.
Give Thoughtful Answers
Many survey questions allow only a single choice on a multiple choice prompt as a response. But for other question formats where there’s an opportunity to give more feedback, be sure to give a fulsome response. For example, if it’s an open-ended question such as “What do you like about peanut butter?”, replying with a one word answer like “delicious” would not be considered an adequate response.
Bottom Line
Researchers reward respondents who take the time to answer surveys carefully. By taking your time on surveys, you will start to earn more per survey and get access to surveys that tie in with your interests and passions.