User Experience
Leading Questions
Plain English
Questions that push users toward a certain answer.
Definition
Leading questions are questions phrased in a way that suggests a particular answer.
In practice
Often unintentionally used in interviews or testing, skewing results.
In context
They are easiest to spot in a transcript afterwards, which is the argument for someone other than the facilitator reviewing the recordings.
The reality
They are one of the most common sources of glossaryBiasBias is a systematic distortion in thinking or data that affects the accuracy of research or decision-making.Open glossary term in serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service.
Compared with
Leading Questions vs Open Questions
A leading question suggests its answer: did you find that easy? An open question does not: tell me what you were expecting there. Open questions produce less convenient glossaryDataData is raw, uninterpreted information collected and stored so it can be analysed, processed, or used to inform decisions. On its own it carries no meaning; context and interpretation are what make it useful.Open glossary term and more usable findings.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this term.
What are leading questions?
Questions that suggest a specific answer.
Why are they a problem?
They glossaryBiasBias is a systematic distortion in thinking or data that affects the accuracy of research or decision-making.Open glossary term user glossaryResponseA response is the data or result returned by a server after receiving a request.Open glossary term.
How do you avoid them?
Ask neutral, open-ended questions.
What is an example?
‘Did you find this easy?’ instead of ‘How was this experience?’
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