KnowHow: Forms --- Birth and Age

Forms

The question about age or year of birth should never be missing in a survey! Who wants to know it exactly should ask for the exact birthday. Providing open answer boxes for participants to write down their birthdays often leads to misspellings or missing data, hence drop-out menus are surely the best choice.

 

Age in Years as drop-down menu With drop-down menus one can save a lot of space and kinda pretend to have a short survey. However, one should still be careful applying drop-down menus and consider that a user needs more time to choose the appropriate answer in a drop-down menu than in choosing the right radio button or a check box. In some cases drop-down menus are, on the other hand, the only choice, especially when the list of possible answers to choose from is rather long. From cognitive psychology we know that the human being is able to comprehend up to six elements at the same time, hence drop-down menus should only be used with more than 7 possible answers. This is what it could look like: How old are you? Please choose 1 Year 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years 5 Years 6 Years 7 Years 8 Years 9 Years 10 Years ---- 11 Years 12 Years 13 Years 14 Years 15 Years 16 Years 17 Years 18 Years 19 Years 20 Years ---- 21 Years 22 Years 23 Years 24 Years 25 Years 26 Years 27 Years 28 Years 29 Years 30 Years ---- 31 Years 32 Years 33 Years 34 Years 35 Years 36 Years 37 Years 38 Years 39 Years 40 Years ---- 41 Years 42 Years 43 Years 44 Years 45 Years 46 Years 47 Years 48 Years 49 Years 50 Years ---- 51 Years 52 Years 53 Years 54 Years 55 Years 56 Years 57 Years 58 Years 59 Years 60 Years ---- 61 Years 62 Years 63 Years 64 Years 65 Years 66 Years 67 Years 68 Years 69 Years 70 Years ---- 71 Years 72 Years 73 Years 74 Years 75 Years 76 Years 77 Years 78 Years 79 Years 80 Years ---- 81 Years 82 Years 83 Years 84 Years 85 Years 86 Years 87 Years 88 Years 89 Years 90 Years ---- 91 Years 92 Years 93 Years 94 Years 95 Years 96 Years 97 Years 98 Years 99 Years 100 Years     HTML-Source <p>How old are you?<br> <select name="age"> <option value="0">Please choose</option> <option value="1">1 Year</option> <option value="2">2 Years</option> <option value="3">3 Years</option> <option value="4">4 Years</option> <option value="5">5 Years</option> <option value="6">6 Years</option> <option value="7">7 Years</option> <option value="8">8 Years</option> <option value="9">9 Years</option> <option value="10">10 Years</option> <option>----</option> <option value="11">11 Years</option> <option value="12">12 Years</option> <option value="13">13 Years</option> <option value="14">14 Years</option> <option value="15">15 Years</option> <option value="16">16 Years</option> <option value="17">17 Years</option> <option value="18">18 Years</option> <option value="19">19 Years</option> <option value="20">20 Years</option> <option>----</option> <option value="21">21 Years</option> <option value="22">22 Years</option> <option value="23">23 Years</option> <option value="24">24 Years</option> <option value="25">25 Years</option> <option value="26">26 Years</option> <option value="27">27 Years</option> <option value="28">28 Years</option> <option value="29">29 Years</option> <option value="30">30 Years</option> <option>----</option> <option value="31">31 Years</option> <option value="32">32 Years</option> <option value="33">33 Years</option> <option value="34">34 Years</option> <option value="35">35 Years</option> <option value="36">36 Years</option> <option value="37">37 Years</option> <option value="38">38 Years</option> <option value="39">39 Years</option> <option value="40">40 Years</option> <option>----</option> <option value="41">41 Years</option> <option value="42">42 Years</option> <option value="43">43 Years</option> <option value="44">44 Years</option> <option value="45">45 Years</option> <option value="46">46 Years</option> <option value="47">47 Years</option> <option value="48">48 Years</option> <option value="49">49 Years</option> <option value="50">50 Years</option> <option>----</option> <option value="51">51 Years</option> <option value="52">52 Years</option> <option value="53">53 Years</option> <option value="54">54 Years</option> <option value="55">55 Years</option> <option value="56">56 Years</option> <option value="57">57 Years</option> <option value="58">58 Years</option> <option value="59">59 Years</option> <option value="60">60 Years</option> <option>----</option> <option value="61">61 Years</option> <option value="62">62 Years</option> <option value="63">63 Years</option> <option value="64">64 Years</option> <option value="65">65 Years</option> <option value="66">66 Years</option> <option value="67">67 Years</option> <option value="68">68 Years</option> <option value="69">69 Years</option> <option value="70">70 Years</option> <option>----</option> <option value="71">71 Years</option> <option value="72">72 Years</option> <option value="73">73 Years</option> <option value="74">74 Years</option> <option value="75">75 Years</option> <option value="76">76 Years</option> <option value="77">77 Years</option> <option value="78">78 Years</option> <option value="79">79 Years</option> <option value="80">80 Years</option> <option>----</option> <option value="81">81 Years</option> <option value="82">82 Years</option> <option value="83">83 Years</option> <option value="84">84 Years</option> <option value="85">85 Years</option> <option value="86">86 Years</option> <option value="87">87 Years</option> <option value="88">88 Years</option> <option value="89">89 Years</option> <option value="90">90 Years</option> <option>----</option> <option value="91">91 Years</option> <option value="92">92 Years</option> <option value="93">93 Years</option> <option value="94">94 Years</option> <option value="95">95 Years</option> <option value="96">96 Years</option> <option value="97">97 Years</option> <option value="98">98 Years</option> <option value="99">99 Years</option> <option value="100">100 Years</option> </select> Birthday as drop-out menu Your date of birth: Please choose 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 ---- 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 ---- 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 ---- 31     HTML-Source <p>Your date of birth:<br> <select name="birthday"> <option value="0">Please choose</option> <option value="1">01</option> <option value="2">02</option> <option value="3">03</option> <option value="4">04</option> <option value="5">05</option> <option value="6">06</option> <option value="7">07</option> <option value="8">08</option> <option value="9">09</option> <option value="10">10</option> <option>----</option> <option value="11">11</option> <option value="12">12</option> <option value="13">13</option> <option value="14">14</option> <option value="15">15</option> <option value="16">16</option> <option value="17">17</option> <option value="18">18</option> <option value="19">19</option> <option value="20">20</option> <option>----</option> <option value="21">21</option> <option value="22">22</option> <option value="23">23</option> <option value="24">24</option> <option value="25">25</option> <option value="26">26</option> <option value="27">27</option> <option value="28">28</option> <option value="29">29</option> <option value="30">30</option> <option>----</option> <option value="31">31</option> </select> Month of birth as drop-out menu Your month of birth: Please choose January February March April May June July August September October November December     HTML-Source <p>Your month of birth:<br> <select name="month_birth"> <option value="0">Please choose</option> <option value="1">January</option> <option value="2">February</option> <option value="3">March</option> <option value="4">April</option> <option value="5">May</option> <option value="6">June</option> <option value="7">July</option> <option value="8">August</option> <option value="9">September</option> <option value="10">October</option> <option value="11">November</option> <option value="12">December</option> </select> Year of birth as drop-out menu Your year of birth: Please choose 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 ---- 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 ---- 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 ---- 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 ---- 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 ---- 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 ---- 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 ---- 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 ---- 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 ---- 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2001 ---- 2001 2002 2003     HTML-Source <p>Your year of birth:<br> <select name="year_birth"> <option value="0">Please choose</option> <option value="1">1901</option> <option value="2">1902</option> <option value="3">1903</option> <option value="4">1904</option> <option value="5">1905</option> <option value="6">1906</option> <option value="7">1907</option> <option value="8">1908</option> <option value="9">1909</option> <option value="10">1910</option> <option>----</option> <option value="11">1911</option> <option value="12">1912</option> <option value="13">1913</option> <option value="14">1914</option> <option value="15">1915</option> <option value="16">1916</option> <option value="17">1917</option> <option value="18">1918</option> <option value="19">1919</option> <option value="20">1920</option> <option>----</option> <option value="21">1921</option> <option value="22">1922</option> <option value="23">1923</option> <option value="24">1924</option> <option value="25">1925</option> <option value="26">1926</option> <option value="27">1927</option> <option value="28">1928</option> <option value="29">1929</option> <option value="30">1930</option> <option>----</option> <option value="31">1931</option> <option value="32">1932</option> <option value="33">1933</option> <option value="34">1934</option> <option value="35">1935</option> <option value="36">1936</option> <option value="37">1937</option> <option value="38">1938</option> <option value="39">1939</option> <option value="40">1940</option> <option>----</option> <option value="41">1941</option> <option value="42">1942</option> <option value="43">1943</option> <option value="44">1944</option> <option value="45">1945</option> <option value="46">1946</option> <option value="47">1947</option> <option value="48">1948</option> <option value="49">1949</option> <option value="50">1950</option> <option>----</option> <option value="51">1951</option> <option value="52">1952</option> <option value="53">1953</option> <option value="54">1954</option> <option value="55">1955</option> <option value="56">1956</option> <option value="57">1957</option> <option value="58">1958</option> <option value="59">1959</option> <option value="60">1960</option> <option>----</option> <option value="61">1961</option> <option value="62">1962</option> <option value="63">1963</option> <option value="64">1964</option> <option value="65">1965</option> <option value="66">1966</option> <option value="67">1967</option> <option value="68">1968</option> <option value="69">1969</option> <option value="70">1970</option> <option>----</option> <option value="71">1971</option> <option value="72">1972</option> <option value="73">1973</option> <option value="74">1974</option> <option value="75">1975</option> <option value="76">1976</option> <option value="77">1977</option> <option value="78">1978</option> <option value="79">1979</option> <option value="80">1980</option> <option>----</option> <option value="81">1981</option> <option value="82">1982</option> <option value="83">1983</option> <option value="84">1984</option> <option value="85">1985</option> <option value="86">1986</option> <option value="87">1987</option> <option value="88">1988</option> <option value="89">1989</option> <option value="90">1990</option> <option>----</option> <option value="91">1991</option> <option value="92">1992</option> <option value="93">1993</option> <option value="94">1994</option> <option value="95">1995</option> <option value="96">1996</option> <option value="97">1997</option> <option value="98">1998</option> <option value="99">1999</option> <option value="100">2001</option> <option>----</option> <option value="101">2001</option> <option value="102">2002</option> <option value="103">2003</option> </select>

Day, month and year of birth as combined drop-out menus When is your birthday? Birthday Month Year Please choose 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 ---- 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 ---- 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 ---- 31 Please choose January February March April May June July August September October November December Please choose 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 ---- 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 ---- 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 ---- 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 ---- 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 ---- 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 ---- 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 ---- 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 ---- 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 ---- 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2001 ---- 2001 2002 2003     HTML-Source <p>When is your brithday?<br> <table width="300" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td width="100" align="center">birthday</td> <td width="100" align="center">month_birth</td> <td width="100" align="center">year_birth</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100" align="center"> <select name="birthday"> <option value="0">Please choose</option> <option value="1">01</option> <option value="2">02</option> <option value="3">03</option> <option value="4">04</option> <option value="5">05</option> <option value="6">06</option> <option value="7">07</option> <option value="8">08</option> <option value="9">09</option> <option value="10">10</option> <option>----</option> <option value="11">11</option> <option value="12">12</option> <option value="13">13</option> <option value="14">14</option> <option value="15">15</option> <option value="16">16</option> <option value="17">17</option> <option value="18">18</option> <option value="19">19</option> <option value="20">20</option> <option>----</option> <option value="21">21</option> <option value="22">22</option> <option value="23">23</option> <option value="24">24</option> <option value="25">25</option> <option value="26">26</option> <option value="27">27</option> <option value="28">28</option> <option value="29">29</option> <option value="30">30</option> <option>----</option> <option value="31">31</option> </select> </td> <td width="100" align="center"> <select name="month_birth"> <option value="0">Please choose</option> <option value="1">January</option> <option value="2">February</option> <option value="3">March</option> <option value="4">April</option> <option value="5">May</option> <option value="6">June</option> <option value="7">July</option> <option value="8">August</option> <option value="9">September</option> <option value="10">October</option> <option value="11">November</option> <option value="12">December</option> </select> </td> <td width="100" align="center"> <select name="year_birth"> <option value="0">Please choose</option> <option value="1">1901</option> <option value="2">1902</option> <option value="3">1903</option> <option value="4">1904</option> <option value="5">1905</option> <option value="6">1906</option> <option value="7">1907</option> <option value="8">1908</option> <option value="9">1909</option> <option value="10">1910</option> <option>----</option> <option value="11">1911</option> <option value="12">1912</option> <option value="13">1913</option> <option value="14">1914</option> <option value="15">1915</option> <option value="16">1916</option> <option value="17">1917</option> <option value="18">1918</option> <option value="19">1919</option> <option value="20">1920</option> <option>----</option> <option value="21">1921</option> <option value="22">1922</option> <option value="23">1923</option> <option value="24">1924</option> <option value="25">1925</option> <option value="26">1926</option> <option value="27">1927</option> <option value="28">1928</option> <option value="29">1929</option> <option value="30">1930</option> <option>----</option> <option value="31">1931</option> <option value="32">1932</option> <option value="33">1933</option> <option value="34">1934</option> <option value="35">1935</option> <option value="36">1936</option> <option value="37">1937</option> <option value="38">1938</option> <option value="39">1939</option> <option value="40">1940</option> <option>----</option> <option value="41">1941</option> <option value="42">1942</option> <option value="43">1943</option> <option value="44">1944</option> <option value="45">1945</option> <option value="46">1946</option> <option value="47">1947</option> <option value="48">1948</option> <option value="49">1949</option> <option value="50">1950</option> <option>----</option> <option value="51">1951</option> <option value="52">1952</option> <option value="53">1953</option> <option value="54">1954</option> <option value="55">1955</option> <option value="56">1956</option> <option value="57">1957</option> <option value="58">1958</option> <option value="59">1959</option> <option value="60">1960</option> <option>----</option> <option value="61">1961</option> <option value="62">1962</option> <option value="63">1963</option> <option value="64">1964</option> <option value="65">1965</option> <option value="66">1966</option> <option value="67">1967</option> <option value="68">1968</option> <option value="69">1969</option> <option value="70">1970</option> <option>----</option> <option value="71">1971</option> <option value="72">1972</option> <option value="73">1973</option> <option value="74">1974</option> <option value="75">1975</option> <option value="76">1976</option> <option value="77">1977</option> <option value="78">1978</option> <option value="79">1979</option> <option value="80">1980</option> <option>----</option> <option value="81">1981</option> <option value="82">1982</option> <option value="83">1983</option> <option value="84">1984</option> <option value="85">1985</option> <option value="86">1986</option> <option value="87">1987</option> <option value="88">1988</option> <option value="89">1989</option> <option value="90">1990</option> <option>----</option> <option value="91">1991</option> <option value="92">1992</option> <option value="93">1993</option> <option value="94">1994</option> <option value="95">1995</option> <option value="96">1996</option> <option value="97">1997</option> <option value="98">1998</option> <option value="99">1999</option> <option value="100">2001</option> <option>----</option> <option value="101">2001</option> <option value="102">2002</option> <option value="103">2003</option> </select> </td> </tr> </table>