Addressing User Experience Concerns of Forced Choice: Introducing a Hybrid Multidimensional Forced-Choice/Likert (HMFCL) Response Format

Abstract

The multidimensional forced-choice (MFC) response format for psychological testing was created to address social desirability and easy-to-fake concerns with other response formats such as the Likert-type response format. Although research suggests that MFC has largely achieved this goal, other issues such as negative user feedback hinder implementation efforts and jeopardize the authenticity of MFC data. We developed and tested a hybrid MFC/Likert (HMFCL) response format designed to provide a better user experience through greater response flexibility while maintaining the fake-resistance of the MFC format. This study describes user experience feedback from 53 participants in a within-subjects (i.e., A/B testing) design comparing the MFC and HMFCL formats. Quantitative and qualitative results suggest that respondents preferred the HMFCL format over traditional MFC on almost every metric (e.g., ease of use, fairness). Future directions for evaluating, implementing, and scoring data from the HMFCL format are discussed.

Suggested citation: Williams, K. M., Figueiras, D., & Roohr, K. (2026). Addressing user experience concerns of forced choice: Introducing a hybrid multidimensional forced-choice/Likert (HMFCL) response format (Research Memorandum No. RM–26-07). ETS. https://doi.org/10.64634/5r6xkc58.