Transcript Threatening Questions, Knowledge Questions, and the Role of Social Desirability

Threatening Questions,
Knowledge Questions, and the
Role of Social Desirability
Behice Ece Ilhan
Fei Lee
Where is the boundary?
Outlines
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What are threatening questions?
(Bradburn et
al. 2004)
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Behaviors :
Knowledge :
What is social desirability in survey
research?
 What else might be threatening besides
the questions?
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Threatening questions about behaviors
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Socially desirable
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Disease detection activities
Library card ownership
Book reading
Seat belt usage
Charitable giving
Voting and voter registration
Socially undesirable
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Traffic violation
Illegal drug use
Use of alcoholic beverages
Sexual activity
Threatening questions are not always “negative”. It
might be related to the ‘uneasiness’ of answering
the questions (Blair et al. 1977).
(1) Are long questions always better?
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In which cases using ‘long questions’ approach
might work or might not work? (Ch3, p.87)
Interaction with question structure or words familiarity.
The total number of questions in a survey.
Survey administration method used (e.g., face-to-face, telephone).
Respondents’ profiles (e.g., illiteracy, education).
(2) Are open-ended questions always better?
“Open questions are generally better than closed questions for
obtaining information on the frequencies of socially
undesirable behavior (Ch 3, p. 80).
 Besides obtaining frequencies information, in which cases
using ‘open-ended questions’ approach is better than closed
questions?
 Why & How open-ended questions can improve reporting?
• Using open-ended approach in threatening questions about
knowledge.
• Open-ended approach might not work in every case (e.g., ‘yes
or no’ social undesirable questions.)
• Open-ended questions reduce response effects (e.g., high- and
low-frequencies response alternatives).
Outlines

What are threatening questions?
(Bradburn et
al. 2004)
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Behaviors :
Knowledge :
What is social desirability in survey
research?
 What else might be threatening besides
the questions?
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Threatening questions about knowledge
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Knowledge of
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Historical events
Public issue
Health
Products & manufacturers
Occupations
Measuring Ability
 National Assessment of education
progress
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Don’t Know vs. Not Sure
“The answer ‘I don’t know’ is …to reduce guessing
and to indicate that ‘don’t know’ answers are
expected and acceptable. (Bradburn et al. p.203)
Q: Do you think ‘I don’t know’ option could
really reduce guessing?
Q: What about alternative options such as
‘I’m not sure’, ‘I don’t remember’, ‘I
haven’t thought about it’ (Bishop et al. 1986)?
Does the order of knowledge questions
matter?
Study in Bishop et al. (1986) about fictitious issues:
• Bishop et al. explain that more guessing due to confusion or
familiarity about the topics.
•Context effects of previous fictitious questions.
• Increasing pressures on the respondents.
Outlines

What are threatening questions?
(Bradburn et
al. 2004)


Behaviors :
Knowledge :
What is social desirability in survey
research?
 What else might be threatening besides
the questions?
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What is social desirability in survey
research?
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“manage social interactions by projecting favorable images
of themselves, thereby maximizing conformity to others
and minimizing the danger of receiving negative
evaluations from them” (Timothy et al. 2002, p. 194).
Does social desirability differ across cultures,
races, or gender?
What about social undesirability?
• The concept of social desirability is similar across cultures. But
the content of social desirability varies.
• Some groups (e.g., immigrant groups or African Americans)
feel like they have to confirm more due to several reasons
(historical or political concerns).
• Social undesirability can also vary across cultures (e.g.,
marijuana, homosexuality issues, or household income). What
else?
Outlines

What are threatening questions?
(Bradburn et
al. 2004)
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Behaviors :
Knowledge :
What is social desirability in survey
research?
 What else might be threatening besides
the questions?
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What else might be threatening besides
the questions?
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Interviewers
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Gender bias
Race bias
Lack of interviewing skill
Social class inequality effect
Survey encounter
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Timing (e.g., day vs. night)
Place (e.g., home vs. office)
Existence of others (e.g., alone vs. with family)
What to take home?
1.SOCIAL DESIRABILITY: SELF DECEPTION
AND IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
2.THE USEFULNESS OF OPEN ENDED
QUESTIONS FOR SOME CONTEXTS
3.THE ROLE OF PRIVACY AND ANONYMITY
4.CONTEXT QUESTIONS BEFORE
THREATENING QUESTIONS – EMBED
QUESTIONS
5.MANY QUESTIONS MIGHT BE
THREATENING ALTHOUGH THEY DON’T
LOOK LIKE AT FIRST
HAPPY VALENTINE’S
DAY! 