When you ask people how often they have engaged in a given activity, what potential problems do you need to consider in how you word your question?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Do not ask for details of mundane activities that are beyond a person's ability to remember (e.g., "How many people are usually in the library when you study there?).
If possible when you ask people how frequently they have engaged in a behavior, request the respondent to provide as specific a number as possible.
If you need to ask about specific periods of time, make sure that the respondent can accurately gauge behaviors in the time frame you specify.
Avoid questions that have vague quantifiers (e.g., "rarely" or "sometimes"); instead, use more specific quantifiers (e.g., "twice a week").
Avoid questions that require overspecific quantifiers (e.g., "How many times have you eaten at a restaurant in the past year?"); instead give ranges (e.g., "0-1 times", "2-3 times", etc.).
Do not ask questions using words that might distract the respondent (e.g., offensive or inflammatory words).