“Q” is for Questionnaires

In 2007 I joined a social forum called QnA. The format was based on questions and answers. It was created by Microsoft, with the intention of gathering up information to form a search engine. The surprise for Microsoft was that through those questions data was also gathered by the forum members regarding other members and great friendships were formed. When Microsoft closed down the site, there was a great deal of sadness, but most of those friendships endured; in fact, many of my Facebook friendships evolved from questions asked an answered on the old QnA.

From time to time I have seen questionnaires posted on Facebook that entice people to participate. Even I have been interested in trying a few of them. I have discovered that my color is white, my mythological creature is the phoenix (although, according to Chinese astrology, I am a dragon), I am a swan and if I ever find myself arrested, my partner in crime would be an actress I’d never heard of before: Jennifer Lawrence. These questionnaires are fun, but I wonder for what reason the company that produces them does so?

There is another type of questionnaire that I find absolutely annoying. Anyone who in recent years has attempted find a job, applying online, has had to fill out one of these questionnaires on the application. These are definitely dedicated to collecting psychological data. These are multiple choice questions aimed at driving the applicant crazy, especially since there is, according to the instructions, no correct or incorrect answer. The problem with these ambiguous questions with no right or wrong answers is that if you give the wrong answer you won’t get the job. And not only are there trick questions, but the trick questions are asked over and over, with different wording or the same wording in different orders.

The last group of questionnaires are the ones I understand the least. I mean, I understand that the information we give in the questionnaires given by doctors is very important for the way in which our health is controlled. But, wouldn’t once be enough? Oh well, this is the age of questionnaires.

 

©Copyright by Mary Purpari “Q” is for Questionnaires April 19, 2014