The study was carried out with a nationally representative UK sample of 1,000 participants, evenly split between five different versions of a survey with each respondent answering the same questions.

After completing the questions for one brand, respondents would immediately move on to answer them for another brand, with one set of questions equalling a single ‘loop’. Each group experienced a different level of looping, ranging from two to six.

In the more repetitive version of the survey (more than three loops), the number of ‘don’t know’ responses increased by 50% compared to the first loop, which Walr said showed that respondents were less thoughtful about their answers as the survey progressed.

In addition, the number of word associations for each brand dropped by about 20% in the later loops, which Walr said demonstrated reduced engagement and consideration among survey respondents.

Walr said these findings were statistically significant at a 95% confidence level, which it added reinforced its hypothesis that from the third loop onwards, respondents began to experience monotony, leading to a decline in data quality.

Pete Flower, chief operating officer at Walr, said: “Understanding the impact of repetition within a survey is crucial for anyone looking to gather accurate and actionable insights.

“Our findings show that reducing monotony in survey design can significantly improve data quality, helping organisations make more informed decisions.”