Two studies among U.S. college students (n=88 and n=329) examined the relationships between the order in which responses are offered on a questionnaire and the ranked importance of those responses. Study 1 included 36 males and 52 females, and Study 2 included 127 males and 202 females. Both studies found that approximately one-third (32 percent and 31 percent, respectively) of listed attributes were ranked in the order of mention. Expanding the criteria to include adjacent categories raised the overlap to about two-thirds (64 percent and 65 percent, respectively). The findings of both studies were independent of sex. In addition, Study 2 measured topic importance/involvement among the respondents, and results indicate that it was not a factor in the trend. The factor that did influence the order of mention and ranking was the number of categories used by respondents. When more than seven categories were used, the stability of mention and rankings tended to become erratic. Three tables present study findings. (Author/SLD)