If a slider is used as an analog quantity setting (e.g., “how much red”) then defaulting it (to 0 or 100% or 50%) makes sense.
BUT, when a slider is used in a survey as a setting for a Likert value (strongly disagree - strongly agree) it is unacceptable for it to have a default.
Rather it must live in some sort of “cradle” or staging area, where the user picks it up and deposits it onto the bar.
For the survey case, it may have sense to use a set of radio buttons instead of the slider.
“For the survey case, it may have sense to use a set of radio buttons instead of the slider”
Stanislav:
I’d say that’s rather giving up the fight, don’t you think. OF COURSE radio buttons avoid this issue, but there are many reasons why a slider on a Likert-type survey item might be superior. You have to look at both the psychometrics AND the ergonomics. My question wasn’t “is this a good idea” – I already KNOW it’s a good idea, but this didn’t seem to be the forum to debate that point. I came here to try to find out how to DO IT, not to debate whether it is a good idea or not. Really, could we NOT have that discussion. I want to know how to do it so it WORKS – there CERTAINLY have been surveys that use a slider. Wouldn’t it be nice if OUR slider could work for such a purpose?