Question Type: Constant Sum

Overview

In a Constant sum question, panelists are presented with a group of choices and asked to assign number values that when added together will not exceed a preset total.  

Question Compatibility

The Constant sum questions are compatible with the following test types: 

1. Standard Test
   
2. Survey
   

Add the Question

1. From the Build tab of your questionnaire, click the blue Add Element button on the left. 
   
   
2. Click Constant sum to add the question to the bottom of the questionnaire, or drag and drop the question where you wish to insert it. 
   
   
3. Update Question Name  field. 
   
   
4. Click Add panelist instructions for this question to add text.
   

Images can be added in the panelist Instructions.

You are able to drag and drop a question to the location of your choice when adding in a new question to your questionnaire. You can also move your question after adding it by using the Move up and Move down arrows.

Question Options

Click Question options to access a list of options available to further customize your question.  

Options in the General Tab

Option Name	Option Description
Question name	The Question name is the label visible to analysts in the following areas: Question in the Build area of your test.  Analysis Reports, Graphs and Exports.
Show question name to panelists	Click to display the Question name to panelists or to hide it from them.
Display name (Will show to panelists if question name is hidden.)	Enter the text that you wish to display to the panelist if your Question name is of a sensitive nature and should not be visible to them.
Sensitive data	Click Yes to flag the collected results for this question as sensitive. If the panelist unsubscribes or is deleted from the Panelists library by an administrator, their data collected in questions marked as sensitive will also be removed.  Data collected in questions that are not marked as sensitive will remain in your tests even after a panelist is unsubscribed/deleted.
Enable requestable attribute instructions	Provide a button for panelists to bring up additional instructions if they need them. This helps declutter the screen when panelists are fairly familiar with attributes, for example, and occasionally might need a reminder about their descriptions.

Options in the Display Tab

Option Name	Option Description
Show question	This will control whether your question will be sample related, test related, or not sample related. For all samples: The question will display for all the samples in your test. For selected samples: The question will display for a subset of samples that you specify. Once (not sample related): The question will display only once and will not be sample related. This is useful for collecting demographic data.
Present question	Specify how you'd like the question to appear: Monadically/one sample at a time: This will display the question to the panelists one sample at a time. All samples at first opportunity: This will display the question to the panelists for all the samples on the same page, in the first cycle through the questionnaire.  All sample at last opportunity: This will display the question to the panelist for all the samples on the same page, in the last cycle through the questionnaire.   First Cycle: This will display a Once (not sample related) question in the first cycle through the questionnaire. In a test that has all not sample related questions (i.e. in the Survey test type), the question will be displayed in the order it is in the list of questions. X cycle: In a product test, select which cycle you wish your demographic Choose question to appear in. It does not have to be the first or last cycle only. Last Cycle: This will display a Once (not sample related) question in the last cycle through the questionnaire. The Last Cycle option is not available in Constant sum questions added in Discrimination test types.
Show blinding code	Display the sample blinding code of the current sample.
Choice display	Select from the following choice components to be displayed to the panelists: Choice label only: Display the text label only. Choice image only: Display only the image associated with the choice.  Choice label and image:  Display both the image associated with the choice and the text label. Add an image to your choice in the Choice/Concept tab. By default,  Choice label and image  option is selected.
Sample order	These options are not applicable to the Constant sum question type and will be removed in the near future.
Evaluate image as sample	Displays the image file associated with the presented sample. Images can be uploaded to each sample in the Samples & design tab.
Number of decimal places	Set the number of decimal places to display to panelists as they make selection on the scale (if you choose to display the values - see the next option below). The number of decimal places you select here will reflect in results. If you are expecting only whole numbers, set the option to 0. Otherwise select the number of decimal places to the number that best suits your testing and analysis needs. Minimum 0 (default), Maximum 3.
Decimal symbol	Select the decimal point format: Period or Comma. The selection made here will reflect in the raw data and reports. Period is the default selection.

Options in the Choices Tab

Choice Display Options Specific to the Constant Sum Question Type

Option Name	Option Description
Minimum for each choice	The lowest value that panelists can enter for any choice.
Maximum for each choice	The highest value that panelists can enter for any choice.
Maximum for total choice	The total value that can be distributed across all choices. The total across choices can never be higher than this number, but it can be less if "Allow less than maximum total" option is toggled to "Yes".
Allow less than maximum total	Toggle this option to "Yes" to allow total across all choices to be less than the maximum value specified.

Common Choice Display Options

Option Name	Option Description
Choice	Identifies how many choices are in the question. Hover over a choice number and the cursor will change like this:  Click and drag the choice to a different spot in the question. The value will not be updated when the choice is moved to a different order in the list.
Text	Edit the text to label the choices.
Value	Enter the number indicating the value that will be assigned to each choice in the test results. The values can be updated after results have been collected, if necessary.
Image	Click Add image to associate an image with the choice.    If you want this image to display to panelists, you will need to ensure the Choice display  option, found in the Display tab, is set to either Choice image only or Choice label and image .
Presentation order	Click the down arrow if you wish to allow panelists to add additional comments when they select the choice.  Fixed: The default selection. The choice will be displayed to panelists in the exact same order. Use a design: Select this option for more than one choice to apply a design by which the choices should rotate.
Delete	Click to remove the choice from your question.
Add Choice	Click to add additional choices at the bottom of the list of your question.
Add pipped choices	Question piping allows responses from a Choose question to become choices in another question. Responses are piped from one question to another.
View choice design	Click to view the design you applied to choices.
Reset Values	Click to renumber the values in the Value  column to be in the ascending order. This is helpful for choices that were manually moved around to ensure that the values reflect the final choice order.
Presentation order design	Select a design from the list you wish to apply to the choices.
Shuffle choice order	This option is useful if you are not concerned whether the concept order is balanced.
Choice order assignment for samples within each sample set	Select from the following options: Same order - Default selection. Panelists will see the choices in the same order for each of their samples. Different order - Panelists will see their choices in a different order for each of their samples.

Analysis

Analysis for Constant sum data is not available within the software. Please export results for analysis.

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