Survey fatigue meaning

Survey fatigue refers to a lack of motivation to participate in assessments—and has the potential to impact response behavior.

1. What is survey fatigue?
2. What is respondent fatigue?
3. What is the maximum amount of time a survey should take to prevent survey fatigue?

What is survey fatigue?

Survey fatigue is what happens when your audience becomes uninterested in answering your surveys. There are two main types of survey fatigue: pre-response survey fatigue and survey-taking fatigue. Incorrect targeting, over-surveying, poor survey design, and long surveys are common causes of survey fatigue.

What is respondent fatigue?

Respondent fatigue is a well-documented phenomenon that occurs when survey participants become tired of the survey task and the quality of the data they provide begins to deteriorate. It occurs when survey participants' attention and motivation drop toward later sections of a questionnaire.

What is the maximum amount of time a survey should take to prevent survey fatigue?

While the number of questions is essential, it's also essential to understand how much of a time commitment you're asking for. According to a Stanford University Study in 2007, survey time needs to be limited to ensure accurate responses. Ideally, this will be less than 5 minutes.