Question type

Dichotomous questions (yes / no)

A dichotomous question is a closed question with exactly two possible answers, usually yes and no, true and false, or agree and disagree. It is the fastest question to answer and to analyse. It suits checkable facts and screening, but it flattens opinions, which rarely come in only two shades.

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Dichotomous question examples in research

Have you bought from us before? Yes / No
Was your issue solved on the first contact? Yes / No
Do you manage a team? Yes / No
Would you attend the event again next year? Yes / No

All four ask about a fact or a clear decision. “Do you like our design?” does not fit: most people like it a bit, and two buttons cannot show that.

Yes, no, or maybe?

Adding a third option such as “Not sure” is honest when some respondents genuinely do not know (“Will your company renew next year?”). It also becomes an escape hatch that people use to avoid thinking. Rule of thumb: for facts, keep two options; for intentions, add “Not sure” and use a single-choice question with three options instead.

Screening and branching with yes/no

The best use of a dichotomous question is as a gate. “Have you used the mobile app?” sends “no” to the end of that section and “yes” to five detailed questions. People never see questions that do not apply to them, and the survey feels shorter than it is.

How to analyse yes/no answers

yes share = yes answers ÷ (yes + no) × 100%

With small samples, report the count next to the percentage: 3 out of 4 is not the same evidence as 300 out of 400. For comparisons between groups, the difference in yes shares is the headline number.

Mistakes with two-option questions

Double-barrelled questions (“Was the staff friendly and fast?”) that cannot be answered with one yes.
Leading wording (“Wouldn’t you agree that…”), which pushes answers towards yes.
Using yes/no for satisfaction, where a scale would show how satisfied.
Negative wording (“Did you not find what you needed?”), where both answers are confusing.

Yes/no in quizzes and checklists

Outside research, two-option questions do a lot of practical work. A true/false quiz item tests one fact without the hints that four answer options can give away. An inspection checklist (“Fire exit clear? Yes / No”) turns into a report where every “no” is a task. In both cases the value comes from the statement being precise enough that nobody has to guess what “yes” means.

Building it in Askyo

The Yes / No block shows two large buttons side by side, easy to hit with a thumb. You can rename them (“Attending / Not attending”, “True / False”). On the logic graph the block has separate yes and no exits plus a default one, so it works as a branching gate without any extra setup.

In quiz mode you can mark the correct side and give it points, which turns the block into a true/false question. Analytics shows a donut with the share of yes answers.

What you can set

wording for «yes»
wording for «no»

Templates that already use it

«Was your problem solved on first contact?» CSAT: support ticket rating Feedback
«Did you hit any blockers this week?» Team pulse survey HR and team
«Does your child talk about kindergarten on their own?» Settling into kindergarten Education
«Does the child get enough to eat at school?» School meals survey Education
«Does your child attend any clubs or sports sections now?» Clubs and after-school activities: interest survey Education
«At normal atmospheric pressure, does water boil at 100 °C?» Knowledge test with scoring Education
«Is it OK to leave boxes by an emergency exit if it's only for a short while?» Staff assessment test with scoring Education
«Will you come to the next event?» Event feedback Events
«Have you ever got stuck and not known what to do next?» UX interface research Research
«Do you take medication regularly?» Health questionnaire Research
«Is it OK to work with company documents over open Wi-Fi without a VPN?» Training test Quizzes

Frequently asked questions

Dichotomous questions (yes / no): common questions

What is a dichotomous question?

A dichotomous question offers exactly two answer options, such as yes/no or true/false. It belongs to the closed-ended family, is quick to answer and gives clean percentages. It works best for facts and screening, not for opinions that come in degrees.

Should I add a “don’t know” option to yes/no questions?

Add it when some respondents genuinely cannot know the answer, such as future plans or someone else’s decision. For facts about the person themselves, leave it out: it becomes an easy exit and lowers the quality of the data.

Can a yes/no answer change which questions come next?

Yes. In Askyo the Yes / No block has separate exits for yes and no on the logic graph. Connect each exit to its own next question, and people only see the branch that applies to them.

Is a dichotomous question the same as a true/false question?

True/false is one kind of dichotomous question, used mostly in tests and quizzes to check knowledge. In surveys the two options are more often yes and no, or agree and disagree. The logic is identical: two mutually exclusive answers and nothing in between.

Neighbouring types

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Put one yes/no gate in front of your detailed questions and cut the survey short for everyone it does not concern.

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