Anonymous vs. non-anonymous administration of depression scales in elite athletes: a meta-analysis

Harenberg, Sebastian; Ouellet-Pizer, Chloe; Nieto, Margaret; Kuo, Laura; Vosloo, Justine; Keenan, Lindsey; Wilson, Sayre

doi:10.1080/1750984x.2022.2095658

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…This is an important finding as it reveals that more than a quarter of participants within a non-forensic study tend to spontaneously engage in supernormality when responding to a self-report questionnaire. Importantly, within this study, there were no apparent incentives for participants to "fake good", and participants' anonymity was guaranteed, a factor known to reduce positive response bias in research (Harenberg et al, 2022;Thielmann et al, 2016). Hence, these novel findings suggest that self-reported data, even in low-stake contexts, can be susceptible to supernormality, raising questions about its reliability that require further investigation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Too good to be true: Comparing lying habits as reported by credible vs non-credible responders

Henriquez,

Boskovic,

Kok

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Researchers typically rely on self-report when inquiring about individuals’ behavior. Yet, when measuring socially unacceptable behavior such as dishonesty, self-report is prone to bias, especially underreporting (i.e., “positive response bias” or “faking good”). This study aimed to examine the impact of supernormality, an extreme form of positive response bias, on self-reported lying behavior. A total of 777 participants completed an online survey, which included assessments of lying behavior and supernormality. Based on their supernormality scores, participants were categorized into a "supernormal group" (n = 223, 28.7%) and a "credible group" (n = 554, 71.3%). Our results revealed that the supernormal group reported a significantly lower lying frequency, higher unwillingness to lie due to negative internal factors such as experiencing guilt (i.e., negativity), being less influenced by external factors in their decisions to lie (i.e., lower contextuality), lower relational lying, and lower antisocial lying, compared to the credible group. These group differences in lying behavior are interpreted as a manifestation of the supernormal group’s heighted motivation to “fake good” and as underreporting of their lying behavior. Furthermore, when controlling for supernormality levels, subtle gender differences in lying behavior were revealed, with women reporting lower proficiency in lying, being less influenced by contextual factors in their decisions to lie and engaging in less antisocial lying than men. Overall, our results highlight the unreliability of self-report when investigating sensitive topics, such as lying, and the importance of screening for response bias (i.e., underreporting).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Too good to be true: Comparing lying habits as reported by credible vs non-credible responders

Henriquez,

Boskovic,

Kok

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Moreover, a recent study by De Page and Merkelbach (2021) observed a 25% prevalence rate of supernormality when exploring selfreported mental health symptoms in adults receiving psychological treatment. Nevertheless, a 23.7% prevalence within the current study represents a substantial proportion, particularly given the current study's design, with complete respondent anonymity, eliminating the risk of respondents being perceived positively or negatively by others (Harenberg et al, 2022), and absence of external incentives (e.g., parole hearing, job application etc.) that might motivate respondents to "fake good" (Levashina & Campion, 2006Rogers & Bender, 2018;Thielmann et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Coping habits as measured using self-report are sensitive to supernormality response bias.

Van der Hallen,

Henriquez

2024

Preprint

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Coping, crucial for managing stress and determining mental health outcomes, is commonly assessed using self-report instruments, raising concerns about susceptibility to response biases. While previous research has scrutinized coping assessments for biases like social desirability, this is the first exploration into the role of supernormality in coping self-reports. The current study investigated the impact of supernormality, an extreme form of positive response bias, on self-reported coping behaviors in a sample of 862 participants aged 18 to 71 years. Results indicate that 23.7% of the sample exhibited supernormality, highlighting its prevalence and relevance in psychological research. Supernormal respondents reported significantly higher reliance on problem-focused coping and significantly lower engagement in emotion-focused and avoidant coping compared to credible respondents. This pattern was particularly evident for specific coping strategies such as humor, venting, behavioral disengagement, denial, substance use, self-blame, and self-distraction. Overall, this study emphasizes the pervasive impact of response biases in seemingly neutral psychological phenomena and recommends nuanced approaches in research, incorporating alternative methodologies to enhance coping assessment validity. As such, our findings contribute valuable insights into the impact of response biases on coping behaviors, underscoring the need for meticulous consideration in both research and clinical applications.

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“…Future research may consider non-anonymised approaches to matching participant data across the three waves of data collection. However, research has often identified that disclosure of sensitive information on self-administered questionnaires is enhanced when the data obtained is anonymous as opposed to confidential (Harenberg et al, 2022). Therefore, this implies that the optimal method for accurately obtaining information regarding attitudes and help-seeking behaviours towards a sensitive topic such as mental health would be anonymous.…”

Section: School Drop-out Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

A Randomised Control Trial evaluating The GUIDE Cymru: All Wales mental health literacy in Year 9 children in Wales

Simkiss

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Adolescent and young people’s mental health problems are increasingly prevalent within the United Kingdom (UK), and a lack of mental health knowledge can often lead to negative stereotypes of mental illness. This thesis aims to contribute to the expanding field of Mental Health Literacy (MHL) among adolescents and young people. Chapter 1 outlined the prevalence of mental health problems during adolescence and the need for early intervention. Chapter 2 reviews mental health stigma and details the importance of stigma reduction through improving knowledge and MHL. Chapter 3 introduces the development of a new measure of MHL, known as the Knowledge and Attitudes to Mental Health Scale (KAMHS). Chapter 4 investigates associations between mental health and MHL constructs and assesses the importance of MHL as more than just mental health knowledge, extending to the broader construct of help-seeking efficacy, stigma, and coping mechanisms. Chapter 5 outlines a pilot study in the evaluation of the Guide Cymru through a pre and post-test design. Moreover, Chapter 6 illustrates a cluster randomised control trial used to evaluate a The Guide Cymru within secondary schools across Wales. Chapter 7 reviews the research presented throughout the thesis, considering the broader implications of the findings and recommendations for future research. This thesis, therefore, contributes to the field of MHL by demonstrating that providing teachers with appropriate resources and training to deliver the Guide Cymru can significantly improve the MHL of pupils. The findings provide valuable insights into future research supporting child and adolescent mental health.

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Anonymous vs. non-anonymous administration of depression scales in elite athletes: a meta-analysis

Cited by 9 publications

References 89 publications

Too good to be true: Comparing lying habits as reported by credible vs non-credible responders

Too good to be true: Comparing lying habits as reported by credible vs non-credible responders

Coping habits as measured using self-report are sensitive to supernormality response bias.

A Randomised Control Trial evaluating The GUIDE Cymru: All Wales mental health literacy in Year 9 children in Wales

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