What is the guidance for using 1st person point of view vs. 3rd person point of view.  I am surveying an internal group of employees internally.

Bill Johnston said:

You will get your most accurate responses when you use 1st person and ask questions about behaviors rather than thoughts or feelings.

BEST: How many times each month do you call the internal support desk to solve a problem? How often do they meet your needs?

Next level down: How satisfied are you with the internal support desk?

Next level down: What do you think others think of the internal support desk?

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Hi Jennifer,

You are right about first person being “I” rather than “you” (second person).  What I believe Bill means is that respondents answer is 1st person, making it more personal and increasing the survey taker's ability to answer the questions confidently.  This is what leads to more accurate survey results.

For example, if you ask, “How many times each month do you call the internal support desk to solve a problem?”, the survey taker thinks, “I call the internal support desk …..”.  If you asked in 3rd person, “How many times each month do people call..”, it is unclear whether the survey taker should answer based on their personal experience or make a guess about the average number of calls.  Clear questions lead to clear, easy-to-interpret results.

Both your questions and Bill's questions lead to 1st person answer.  I doubt one is better than the other, and I really like the way you worded your questions, as they are quick to read and answer.

What you want to avoid is 3rd person, because you are not asking the respondent about what they are most familiar with- – themselves.