Single variable weighting

Single variable weighting weights survey data according to the target percentages specified for answer categories in one question or profile variable.

Workflow

To create a single variable weight scheme:

  1. Choose survey questions or profile variables to use as a weight variable.
  2. Specify the target percentages that you want for each answer or category.
  3. Apply the weight scheme, and the percentages and counts in the report are recalculated based on the specified targets.
Example: Single Variable Weighting by Gender

You distribute a survey to a group of participants that you expect are equally balanced between men and women:

Gender Expected Percentage
Male 50%
Female 50%

However, your data shows that the participants who completed your survey are not equally balanced between men and women:

Gender Sample Percentage
Male 45%
Female 55%

This can happen because your sample was not actually balanced between both genders or because the two groups had different response rates.

To see what your data would look like if men and women were equally balanced, you adjust your data and weight it based on gender. The system will calculate the weight that should be applied to each participant to reach this balance.

Gender Target Percentage Sample Percentage Weight
Male 50% 45% 50/45 = 1.11
Female 50% 55% 50/55 = 0.90

Essentially, this weight scheme specifies that 1 Male response should count as 1.11 responses, and 1 Female response should count as 0.90 responses, in order to achieve the targeted 50/50 split.

Note:
  • Weight schemes are applied on a per-report basis and cannot be shared between reports.
  • Weight schemes are not applied to Highlighter or Net Promoter Score℠1 questions.
1 Net Promoter, NPS, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered U.S. trademarks, and Net Promoter Score and Net Promoter System are service marks, of Bain & Company, Inc., NICE Systems, Inc. and Fred Reichheld.