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Response style behavior: question format dependent or personal style?

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  • Natalia Kieruj
  • Guy Moors

Abstract

In survey research, acquiescence response style/set (ARS) and extreme response style/set (ERS) may distort the measurement of attitudes. How response bias is evoked is still subject of research. A key question is whether it may be evoked by external factors (e.g. test conditions or fatigue) or whether it could be the result of internal factors (e.g. personality or social characteristics). In the first part of this study we explore whether scale length—the manipulated test condition—influences the occurrence of ERS and/or ARS, by varying scale length from 5 till 11 categories. In pursuit of this we apply a latent class factor model that allows for diagnosing and correcting for ERS and ARS simultaneously. Results show that ERS occurs regardless of scale length. Furthermore, we find only weak evidence of ARS. In a second step we check whether ERS might reflect an internal personal style by (a) linking it to external measures of ERS, and by (b) correlating it with a personality profile and socio-demographic characteristics. Results show that ERS is reasonably stable over questionnaires and that it is associated with the selected personality profile and age. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Natalia Kieruj & Guy Moors, 2013. "Response style behavior: question format dependent or personal style?," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 193-211, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:47:y:2013:i:1:p:193-211
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-011-9511-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Guy Moors, 2003. "Diagnosing Response Style Behavior by Means of a Latent-Class Factor Approach. Socio-Demographic Correlates of Gender Role Attitudes and Perceptions of Ethnic Discrimination Reexamined," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 277-302, August.
    2. Diamantopoulos, A. & Reynolds, N.L. & Simintiras, A.C., 2006. "The impact of response styles on the stability of cross-national comparisons," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(8), pages 925-935, August.
    3. van Rosmalen, J.M. & van Herk, H. & Groenen, P.J.F., 2007. "Identifying Unknown Response Styles: A Latent-Class Bilinear Multinomial Logit Model," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2007-045-MKT, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
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    1. Katarzyna Kinga Kowalczyk & Agnieszka Mulak & Grzegorz Krol, 2016. "Extreme Response Style in Correlational Research (Extreme Response Style (Skrajny Styl Odpowiadania) w badaniach korelacyjnych)," Problemy Zarzadzania, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 14(60), pages 61-82.
    2. Jäckle, Annette & Johannes, Eggs, 2014. "Dependent interviewing and sub-optimal responding," ISER Working Paper Series 2014-32, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    3. Yingbin Zhang & Zhaoxi Yang & Yehui Wang, 2022. "The Impact of Extreme Response Style on the Mean Comparison of Two Independent Samples," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, June.
    4. Alice Barth & Andreas Schmitz, 2018. "Response quality and ideological dispositions: an integrative approach using geometric and classifying techniques," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 175-194, January.
    5. Liu Mingnan & Keusch Florian, 2017. "Effects of Scale Direction on Response Style of Ordinal Rating Scales," Journal of Official Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 33(1), pages 137-154, March.
    6. Jennifer Oser & Marc Hooghe & Zsuzsa Bakk & Roberto Mari, 2023. "Changing citizenship norms among adolescents, 1999-2009-2016: A two-step latent class approach with measurement equivalence testing," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(5), pages 4915-4933, October.
    7. Pengsheng Ni & Molly Marino & Emily Dore & Lily Sonis & Colleen M Ryan & Jeffrey C Schneider & Alan M Jette & Lewis E Kazis, 2019. "Extreme response style bias in burn survivors," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(5), pages 1-13, May.
    8. Elke Cabooter & Bert Weijters & Alain Beuckelaer & Eldad Davidov, 2017. "Is extreme response style domain specific? Findings from two studies in four countries," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(6), pages 2605-2622, November.
    9. Mingnan Liu & Frederick G. Conrad & Sunghee Lee, 2017. "Comparing acquiescent and extreme response styles in face-to-face and web surveys," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(2), pages 941-958, March.

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