Best questions for ex-cult member survey about coercive control experiences

Here are some of the best questions for an ex-cult member survey about coercive control experiences, plus tips on crafting them so you get honest, meaningful answers. With Specific, you can generate a tailored survey in seconds, unlocking deeper insights with smart follow-ups.

Best open-ended questions for ex-cult member survey about coercive control experiences

Open-ended questions let ex-cult members share nuanced details, feelings, and stories in their own words—crucial for understanding complex experiences like coercive control. Use these when you want depth, context, and surprises (instead of just quantifiable stats).

1. Can you describe a time you felt pressured or controlled within the group?

2. In what ways did the group restrict your independence or decision-making?

3. How did leaders or other members discourage you from expressing doubts or leaving?

4. What specific tactics or behaviors felt controlling or manipulative to you?

5. How did your experiences of coercive control affect your personal relationships outside the group?

6. What emotions did you experience when you questioned or resisted the group’s practices?

7. How has leaving the group impacted your sense of autonomy and well-being?

8. Can you describe any support or resources that helped you recover from coercive control?

9. What advice would you give to others trying to break free from similar situations?

10. Is there anything else about your experience with coercive control in the group that you feel is important to share?

It’s worth noting that nearly 80% of individuals in abusive religious groups report feeling trapped or powerless, making open-ended narratives essential for truly understanding the scope of coercive control and its aftermath. [3]

Best single-select multiple-choice questions for ex-cult member survey about coercive control experiences

Single-select multiple-choice questions are easiest when you want to quantify trends or lower the barrier for people to start sharing. Sometimes it’s less daunting to tick a box first and open up later. Plus, this format lets you quickly spot common experiences among ex-cult members.

Question: Which form of coercive control did you most frequently encounter in your group?

• Isolation from family/friends

• Financial manipulation

• Restriction of information

• Psychological intimidation

• Other

Question: How often did you feel unable to make decisions freely while in the group?

• Always

• Frequently

• Sometimes

• Rarely

• Never

Question: What was the primary motivation for your decision to leave the group?

• Desire for personal autonomy

• Concerns over group practices

• Support from friends/family

• Emotional exhaustion

• Other

When to follow up with "why?" After someone selects an option, a follow-up “why?” digs deeper into their rationale or unique story. For example, if someone selects “Isolation from family/friends”, probing with, “Can you share how this impacted you?” often uncovers powerful, actionable insights that a tick-box alone would miss.

When and why to add the "Other" choice? Always include an “Other” option—ex-cult members’ experiences often don’t fit tidy boxes. With a follow-up, you can discover patterns you hadn’t anticipated, revealing new types of coercion or support needs.

NPS question for ex-cult member surveys—does it fit?

NPS (Net Promoter Score) is often used to gauge satisfaction and loyalty, but it’s also a strong tool for measuring how likely ex-cult members are to recommend resources, support groups, or advocacy initiatives to others. By asking, “How likely are you to recommend support services for people leaving coercive groups to someone in a similar situation?” you get a quantitative anchor for advocacy readiness and outreach effectiveness. Want to try it? Build a tailored NPS survey for ex-cult members here.

The power of follow-up questions

Automatic follow-up questions are the secret behind uncovering real context. With Specific’s AI-driven follow-ups, the survey doesn’t stop at surface details—it feels like a caring, insightful conversation. The AI asks for clarification or deeper explanation, just like a great interviewer would.

• Ex-cult member: “I often felt powerless.”

• AI follow-up: “Can you share a specific moment when you felt this way, and what led up to it?”

Without this, you’re stuck with vague answers and miss the patterns that drive real change.

How many followups to ask? Two to three follow-up questions are usually enough to get to the heart of the matter, especially when you allow respondents to skip ahead if they’ve already shared the key info. Specific lets you fine-tune this setting so your survey stays respectful and concise.

This makes it a conversational survey—each answer becomes part of an ongoing dialogue, helping ex-cult members open up in a natural way.

AI-powered response analysis is simple too. Even with dozens of qualitative replies, tools like Specific’s AI analysis make it easy to synthesize common themes and insights without spending hours reading every answer.

AI follow-up questions are a new game-changer—try generating a survey and see for yourself how much richer your feedback can get.

How to get better questions with prompts for GPT or ChatGPT

AI can help brainstorm outstanding questions—if you give it the right input. Start by simply prompting:

Suggest 10 open-ended questions for ex-cult member survey about coercive control experiences.

Add more context about your group, your goals, and details for sharper results. For instance:

I’m building a survey for adults who left high-control groups. My goal is to understand how coercive control impacted their decision-making, relationships, and wellbeing. Suggest 10 open-ended questions.

Once you have your list of questions, prompt the AI to organize and improve them:

Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.

Pick the categories most relevant to your needs, then dig deeper:

Generate 10 questions for categories “Psychological Impact” and “Recovery Support.”

This targeted approach helps you build surveys that actually resonate and unlock insights, especially if you’re using a chat-based AI survey builder like Specific.

What is a conversational survey?

A conversational survey is more than a digital form—it’s a two-way chat that adapts in real time. Unlike static lists, the survey “listens” and responds to each answer, making participants feel heard and understood. This is particularly meaningful for ex-cult members, given the personal and sensitive nature of their stories.

Let’s compare:

Why use AI for ex-cult member surveys? In sensitive contexts, AI survey generators offer real empathy and smarter flow—adapting tone, identifying distress, and knowing when to ask more or stop. For example, studies show AI survey tools can analyze responses in minutes or hours instead of days. This speed lets support organizations and researchers act sooner, while respecting respondent bandwidth. [4]

AI survey examples like those you see in Specific’s survey generator show how conversational feedback unlocks rich data and builds trust. You get the best user experience for both creators and respondents—smooth, mobile-friendly, and genuinely engaging. Want a deeper dive? Check out how to create a survey for ex-cult members about coercive control.

See this coercive control experiences survey example now

Start your own conversational survey for ex-cult member insights about coercive control—see how smart follow-ups and AI-driven analysis deliver richer, quicker results and bring unheard stories to light.