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Sex, Lies and Measurement: Consistency tests for Indirect Response Survey Methods

Author

Listed:
  • Erica Chuang
  • Pascaline Dupas

    (Stanford University)

  • Élise Huillery

    (LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Juliette Seban

    (Sciences Po - Sciences Po)

Abstract

Social scientists seeking to analyze socially sanctioned behaviors or attitudes increasingly rely on indirect response survey methods, meant to veil the answers of individual respondents. We propose simple internal consistency tests for two such methods, the list experiment and the randomized response technique (its Warner and Crosswise variants). We implement these tests in two studies on sexual and reproductive health behavior in Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire. Non-compliance with instructions among surveyed individuals appears high and not easily char-acterizable. The tests we propose can be easily and cheaply embedded in measurement tools, allowing researchers to at least know whether their data is reliable before using it.

Suggested Citation

  • Erica Chuang & Pascaline Dupas & Élise Huillery & Juliette Seban, 2021. "Sex, Lies and Measurement: Consistency tests for Indirect Response Survey Methods," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03119861, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:spmain:hal-03119861
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2020.102582
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Imai, Kosuke, 2011. "Multivariate Regression Analysis for the Item Count Technique," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 106(494), pages 407-416.
    2. Ulf Böckenholt & Sema Barlas & Peter G. M. van der Heijden, 2009. "Do randomized‐response designs eliminate response biases? An empirical study of non‐compliance behavior," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(3), pages 377-392, April.
    3. McKenzie D. & Siegel M., 2013. "Eliciting illegal migration rates through list randomization," MERIT Working Papers 2013-023, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    4. Pascaline Dupas & Élise Huillery & Juliette Seban, 2018. "Risk Information, Risk Salience, and Teenagers Sexual Behavior: Experimental Evidence from Cameroon," Post-Print hal-01645677, HAL.
    5. Höglinger, Marc & Diekmann, Andreas, 2017. "Uncovering a Blind Spot in Sensitive Question Research: False Positives Undermine the Crosswise-Model RRT," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(1), pages 131-137, January.
    6. Dupas, Pascaline & Huillery, Elise & Seban, Juliette, 2018. "Risk information, risk salience, and adolescent sexual behavior: Experimental evidence from Cameroon," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 151-175.
    7. Marc Höglinger & Ben Jann, 2018. "More is not always better: An experimental individual-level validation of the randomized response technique and the crosswise model," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-22, August.
    8. Eady, Gregory, 2017. "The Statistical Analysis of Misreporting on Sensitive Survey Questions," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(2), pages 241-259, April.
    9. Blair, Graeme & Imai, Kosuke, 2012. "Statistical Analysis of List Experiments," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(1), pages 47-77, January.
    10. Graeme Blair & Kosuke Imai & Yang-Yang Zhou, 2015. "Design and Analysis of the Randomized Response Technique," Journal of the American Statistical Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 110(511), pages 1304-1319, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

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    4. Claire Cullen, 2023. "Method Matters: The Underreporting of Intimate Partner Violence," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 37(1), pages 49-73.
    5. Osman, Adam & Speer, Jamin D. & Weaver, Andrew, 2023. "Discrimination against Women in Hiring," IZA Discussion Papers 16598, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Andrés Ham & Ángela Guarín & Juanita Ruiz, 2023. "How accurately are household surveys measuring the size and inequalities for the LGBT population in Bogotá, Colombia? Evidence from a list experiment," Documentos de trabajo 20777, Escuela de Gobierno - Universidad de los Andes.
    7. Assefa, Thomas W. & Kadam, Aditi & Magnan, Nicholas & McCullough, Ellen & McGavock, Tamara, 2022. "Who is asking and how? The effects of enumerator gender and survey method in measuring intimate partner violence," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322543, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Gutiérrez Fernández, Emilio & Rubli, Adrian, 2023. "Challenges for Measuring the LGBT+ Population and Homophobia in Mexico," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12707, Inter-American Development Bank.
    9. Gutierrez, Emilio & Rubli, Adrian, 2024. "LGBT+ persons and homophobia prevalence across job sectors: Survey evidence from Mexico," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    10. Bertelli, Olivia & Calvo, Thomas & Lavallée, Emmanuelle & Mercier, Marion & Mesplé-Somps, Sandrine, 2024. "What one thinks, what one says and what one does: male justifications and practices of gender-based violence in Mali," CEPREMAP Working Papers (Docweb) 2406, CEPREMAP.
    11. Olivia Bertelli & Thomas Calvo & Emmanuelle Lavallée & Marion Mercier & Sandrine Mesplé-Somps, 2023. "Measuring insecurity-related experiences and preferences in a fragile State. A list experiment in Mali," Working Papers DT/2023/01, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    12. Aksoy, Billur & Carpenter, Christopher S. & Sansone, Dario, 2022. "Understanding Labor Market Discrimination against Transgender People: Evidence from a Double List Experiment and a Survey," IZA Discussion Papers 15542, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Hiroyuki Yamada & Yuki Kanayama & Kanako Yoshikawa & Kyaw Wai Aung, 2022. "Place‐based price differentials of prostitution: a case study in Yangon, Myanmar," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 36(1), pages 17-29, May.
    14. Marine JOUVIN, 2021. "Addressing social desirability bias in child labor measurement : an application to cocoa farms in Côte d’Ivoire," Bordeaux Economics Working Papers 2021-08, Bordeaux School of Economics (BSE).
    15. Henry Cust & Aurélia Lépine & Carole Treibich & Timothy Powell‐Jackson & Rosalba Radice & Cheikh Tidiane Ndour, 2024. "Trading HIV for sheep: Risky sexual behavior and the response of female sex workers to Tabaski in Senegal," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 153-193, January.
    16. Carolina Castilla & David M. A. Murphy, 2023. "Bidirectional intimate partner violence: Evidence from a list experiment in Kenya," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(1), pages 175-193, January.

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