In LimeSurvey version 6.5.15, when rendering survey questions that offer multiple response options—such as multiple choice or matrix-style questions—the "No answer" option is automatically pre-selected by default for non-mandatory questions. This behaviour limits respondent agency, as it implicitly biases the response without any user interaction.

The expected behaviour for non-mandatory questions is that no answer should be pre-selected by default, thus allowing participants to freely choose one of the available options (including "No answer") on their own. This ensures a more neutral and user-driven experience, where all responses—including abstaining—are made actively rather than passively.

A brief investigation into related community threads and issue trackers revealed that this behaviour is a point of contention among users. While some support the current implementation, others—including myself—believe that questions should appear unselected by default, aligning more closely with standard UX best practices in survey design.

I propose that LimeSurvey consider changing this behaviour to enhance clarity and avoid introducing bias into the response data for non-mandatory questions.