Reducing Socially Desirable Responses in Epidemiologic Surveys

Moshagen, Morten; Musch, Jochen; Ostapczuk, Martin; Zhao, Zengmei

doi:10.1097/ede.0b013e3181d61dbc

Cited by 56 publications

(49 citation statements)

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“…In the DQ condition, the proportion of respondents answering Btrue^to the direct question provides a direct prevalence estimate. Following the procedure detailed in Moshagen, Hilbig, and Musch (2011), , , Moshagen et al (2010), Ostapczuk, Moshagen, et al (2009), ), Ostapczuk, Musch, et al (2009, however, we formulated multinomial processing tree models (MPT; Batchelder, 1998;Batchelder & Riefer, 1999) for all three questioning techniques. This approach offers more flexibility in parameter estimation and convenient statistical tests of parameter restrictions .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to considering carriers of the sensitive attribute who answer honestly (π) and noncarriers who answer honestly (β), it considers a third class of respondents, namely cheaters (γ) who respond BNo^regardless of the outcome of the randomization procedure. Various studies have shown that the CDM provides higher and thus potentially more valid prevalence estimates of sensitive attributes than a direct question (e.g., Moshagen et al, 2010;Ostapczuk, Moshagen, et al, 2009;Ostapczuk, Musch, et al, 2009;Ostapczuk, Musch, & Moshagen, 2011;Pitsch, Emrich, & Klein, 2007). However, the CDM does not make any assumptions about the real status of cheaters; they may be either lying carriers or noncarriers who wish to avoid suspicion.…”

Section: The Randomized Response Technique (Rrt)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessing the validity of two indirect questioning techniques: A Stochastic Lie Detector versus the Crosswise Model

Hoffmann

Musch

2015

Behav Res

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Estimates of the prevalence of sensitive attributes obtained through direct questions are prone to being distorted by untruthful responding. Indirect questioning procedures such as the Randomized Response Technique (RRT) aim to control for the influence of social desirability bias. However, even on RRT surveys, some participants may disobey the instructions in an attempt to conceal their true status. In the present study, we experimentally compared the validity of two competing indirect questioning techniques that presumably offer a solution to the problem of nonadherent respondents: the Stochastic Lie Detector and the Crosswise Model. For two sensitive attributes, both techniques met the Bmore is better^criterion. Their application resulted in higher, and thus presumably more valid, prevalence estimates than a direct question. Only the Crosswise Model, however, adequately estimated the known prevalence of a nonsensitive control attribute.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Randomized Response Technique (Rrt)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the validity of two indirect questioning techniques: A Stochastic Lie Detector versus the Crosswise Model

Hoffmann

Musch

2015

Behav Res

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“…Although findings to date are inconclusive regarding the direction of this effect, females generally find lying less acceptable then males [30]–[32]. A recent study investigating dental hygiene found that admission of insufficient dental hygiene doubled for females when a less intrusive method was used, but increased only by 46% among males [33], indicating not only gender but interaction between gender- and method effect. Therefore, regarding potential gender differences, we hypothesise that…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Incongruence in Doping Related Attitudes, Beliefs and Opinions in the Context of Discordant Behavioural Data: In Which Measure Do We Trust?

et al. 2011

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BackgroundSocial psychology research on doping and outcome based evaluation of primary anti-doping prevention and intervention programmes have been dominated by self-reports. Having confidence in the validity and reliability of such data is vital.Methodology/Principal FindingsThe sample of 82 athletes from 30 sports (52.4% female, mean age: 21.48±2.86 years) was split into quasi-experimental groups based on i) self-admitted previous experience with prohibited performance enhancing drugs (PED) and ii) the presence of at least one prohibited PED in hair covering up to 6 months prior to data collection. Participants responded to questionnaires assessing a range of social cognitive determinants of doping via self-reports; and completed a modified version of the Brief Implicit Association Test (BIAT) assessing implicit attitudes to doping relative to the acceptable nutritional supplements (NS). Social projection regarding NS was used as control.PEDs were detected in hair samples from 10 athletes (12% prevalence), none of whom admitted doping use. This group of ‘deniers’ was characterised by a dissociation between explicit (verbal declarations) and implicit (BIAT) responding, while convergence was observed in the ‘clean’ athlete group. This dissociation, if replicated, may act as a cognitive marker of the denier group, with promising applications of the combined explicit-implicit cognitive protocol as a proxy in lieu of biochemical detection methods in social science research. Overall, discrepancies in the relationship between declared doping-related opinion and implicit doping attitudes were observed between the groups, with control measures remaining unaffected. Questionnaire responses showed a pattern consistent with self-reported doping use.Conclusions/SignificanceFollowing our preliminary work, this study provides further evidence that both self-reports on behaviour and social cognitive measures could be affected by some form of response bias. This can question the validity of self-reports, with reliability remaining unaffected. Triangulation of various assessment methods is recommended.

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“…In other words, these methods estimate the proportion of carriers of the sensitive attribute not for the total population of interest, but only for the latent subpopulation of respondents who adhere to the instructions. Unfortunately, the rate of nonadherence may be often substantial, with estimates ranging from 5% to 50% (e.g., Moshagen, Hilbig, & Musch, 2011;Moshagen, Musch, Ostapczuk, & Zhao, 2010;Ostapczuk, Musch, & Moshagen, 2009b;in press).…”

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A stochastic lie detector

2011

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Surveys on sensitive issues provide distorted prevalence estimates when participants fail to respond truthfully. The randomized-response technique (RRT) encourages more honest responding by adding random noise to responses, thereby removing any direct link between a participant's response and his or her true status with regard to a sensitive attribute. However, in spite of the increased confidentiality, some respondents still refuse to disclose sensitive attitudes or behaviors. To remedy this problem, we propose an extension of Mangat's (Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B, 56, 93-95, 1994) variant of the RRT that allows for determining whether participants respond truthfully. This method offers the genuine advantage of providing undistorted prevalence estimates for sensitive attributes even if respondents fail to respond truthfully. We show how to implement the method using both closed-form equations and easily accessible free software for multinomial processing tree models. Moreover, we report the results of two survey experiments that provide evidence for the validity of our extension of Mangat's RRT approach.

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Reducing Socially Desirable Responses in Epidemiologic Surveys

Abstract: Given the considerable discrepancy between the results obtained by direct questioning and by using the randomized-response technique, we propose that this technique be considered for use in epidemiologic studies of sensitive behaviors.

Cited by 56 publications

References 33 publications

Assessing the validity of two indirect questioning techniques: A Stochastic Lie Detector versus the Crosswise Model

Assessing the validity of two indirect questioning techniques: A Stochastic Lie Detector versus the Crosswise Model

Incongruence in Doping Related Attitudes, Beliefs and Opinions in the Context of Discordant Behavioural Data: In Which Measure Do We Trust?

A stochastic lie detector

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