Counterbalancing for a within-subjects design on Qualtrics | XM Community
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Counterbalancing for a within-subjects design on Qualtrics

  • June 28, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 1472 views
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Hello fellow Qualtrics users,
I am struggling with adding in a counterbalance function on my survey. I am running a within-subjects study, and need to counterbalance across two conditions to control for order effects.
I have created the two conditions as two separate blocks- Block 1 and Block 2.
When I add in the Randomiser function between Blocks 1 and 2 and then preview my survey, Qualtrics seems only to randomise between the first questions in Block 1 and Block 2, not the whole block.
Is anyone able to assist me in counterbalancing the whole blocks please?
Thanks in advance!

1 reply

CarolK
Level 5 ●●●●●
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  • CarolK
  • Level 5 ●●●●●
  • June 28, 2022

If you're using a Randomizer step in the survey flow, that is going to randomize the order in which the blocks appear. But it won't randomize the content of the blocks themselves.
If you want to randomize the content of the blocks (also or instead) you need to go to the blocks themselves and set it there. Much like with randomization for question prompts (answer randomization), you can set them to all be randomized, or just a subset (as in the case where there is an intro / text prompt at the start of the block, that you want to keep at the top).
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Carol, Sr Insights Consultant
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