Comparing choice and questionnaire measures of the acceptability of a staff training procedure.

The authors asked 24 staff to rate two ways of being watched at work. One way was the familiar system they already used. The other was a new system they had never tried.

Each staff member filled out a short survey. Then they picked which system they would rather keep. The study compared the survey answers with the real choice.

The surveys said both systems were equally fine. The choice test told a different story. Staff picked the familiar system 92 percent of the time.

In short, the survey hid a strong real-world preference.

Morris et al. (2024) later showed the same gap with clients. People often like a treatment that is not the most effective. The 1995 paper first spotted this problem with staff.

Aquino et al. (2024) repeated the pattern in college students. They liked interactive computer training but learned no more than with other formats. Again, liking did not equal learning.

Radley et al. (2019) found a faster way to spot true preference. Group Plickers gave the same clear rankings as one-on-one trials. All four studies agree: choice measures beat surveys at showing what people really want.

Before you roll out a new data sheet, camera, or feedback form, give staff a 30-second choice between the old and the new. A tiny side-by-side trial will tell you more than a five-question survey. Save the paperwork for later and let their pick guide the rollout.