Slider type questions create response objects even when unanswered

[rrschmidt]

In our project we relied on the behavior that for "normal" question types no response object is created, when the survey taker just moves on with the survey without giving an answer.

Unfortunately slider type questions don't behave this way. A slider type question - that's the survey taker is just passing without manipulating the slider - automatically creates a response object with the lower end of the slider's scale as value.

That's a problem for several reasons:

1. this behavior is unexpected and inconsistent with how other question types behave
2. there's no "natural" way to recognize whether a survey taker did or did not answer a slider type question
3. a workaround for 2. could be the introduction of an additional first step on the slider scale called "won't answer" (or something similar) - but makes the slider scale look and feel awkward and makes the question more difficult to understand

Any ideas how to get around this limitation that are better than 3.?

Thanks
Ruediger

[yoon]

Another approach would be to modify the slider js so that it doesn't submit a default value, perhaps with a greyed out slider. I have seen, though, survey builders creating a "no answer" option for radio buttons, since it's not possible for most end users to "unclick" a radio button once selected.

[rrschmidt]

I had used the workaround mentioned above. But I'm not happy with it.

All in all we have these options:

1. show a "no answer" option as part of the slider (the workaround I used). Problem: it doesn't feel natural and is difficult to understand
   2 modify slider.js so it doesn't submit a value when untouched. Problem: once touched the slider submits a answer and cannot be set back to "no answer"
2. show a "no answer" option as separate radiobutton next to the slider.

Option 3 sound best for me, and I'm wondering whether it's possible to implement something like this without tinkering with the surveyor too much.

Using two questions displayed inline brings up other problems (e.g. "no answer" can't be unclicked).

Is it possible to show a slider for only a part of all answers? e.g. a slider plus one radiobutton are shown as possible answers for one question