Estimates of Lifetime Extradyadic Sex Using a Hybrid of Randomized Response Technique and Crosswise Design

Abstract

The prevalence of extradyadic sex (EDS) tends to be underestimated due to underreporting in national surveys, which use direct questioning. Self-administered questionnaires can reduce this response bias but may cause the anxiety of privacy exposure. Randomized Response Technique (RRT) can ensure participants' confidentiality under the randomized design of indirect questions to and was found to yield more valid estimates of sexual or other sensitive behaviors than direct questions. This study estimated the EDS rate among Taiwanese aged 18 years and over, using a hybrid of Randomized Response Technique and Crosswise Design (RRTCD) and the Weighted Conditional Likelihood (WCL) estimator. The data analyzed were from the 2012 Taiwan Social Change Survey, in which the answer to the innocuous question from the unrelated-question RRT of Greenberg, Abul-Ela, Simmons, and Horvitz (1969) was obtained indirectly from a demographic question related to the innocuous question. This RRTCD provided more information on the innocuous question to effectively improve the efficiency of the unrelated-question RRT of Greenberg et al. The WCL estimator was found to be more efficient than the Greenberg et al. estimator for estimating the EDS rate in terms of smaller standard errors and smaller differences in the levels of EDS across sociodemographics and extramarital-sex attitudes. Similar to those suggested in the literature, the estimated rates of EDS in two subsamples were higher among men, homosexuals, those who have or had wages, and those who accepted extramarital sex. The levels of EDS varying with sociodemographics were different between the married and the unmarried.

Estimation of the Proportion of Potential Nondisclosed Men Who Have Sex With Men Among Self-Reported Heterosexual Men With HIV Using a Randomized Response Technique

“…By mathematical reasoning, one can calculate the latter probability based on the overall proportion of positive answers in the whole sample (details followed in the Materials and Methods section). It has been used to explore many sensitive issues such as illicit drug use, 15 risk sexual behaviors involvement, 16 , 17 noncompliant behavior for drivers, 18 and voter turnout measurement, 19 and so on.…”

“I’ve been cheated, been mistreated, when will I be loved”: Two decades of infidelity research through an intersectional lens

“…Among Taiwanese individuals, lifetime incidence of extradyadic sexual activity was 27.3% among married people and 25.5% among the unmarried (Tu & Hsieh, 2017). In a random sample of Norwegian heterosexual couples, in 6% of couples the woman and in 13% of couples the man had an extradyadic sexual partner, and in 4% of couples both partners engaged in extradyadic sex (Træen & Martinussen, 2008).…”

“…Infidelity was more common among cohabitators (Tu & Hsieh, 2017; Whisman & Snyder, 2007). Roberson et al (2017) found four latent classes of relationships among emerging adults: committers, casual daters, settlers, and volatile daters.…”

Comparison of Estimators for Multi-level Randomized Response Data: Evidence from a Case of Sexual Identity

“…Ostapczuk et al (2009) studied attitudes toward foreigners, whereas Perri et al (2016) dealt with induced abortion and migrants’ irregular presence. Hsieh et al (2010) considered the proportion of illegal cable TV in Taiwan, and Tu and Hsieh (2017) studied extradyadic sexual behavior. De Jong et al (2012) introduced a polytomous item RRT that increases reporting sexual proclivities related to DQ.…”