Web Survey Bibliography
Social desirability bias (SDB) in surveys refers to systematic error resulting from the desire of respondents to avoid embarrassment and project a favorable image to others. Respondents may choose responses they believe are more socially desirable or acceptable rather than choosing responses that are reflective of their true thoughts or feelings. This may occur more often by some respondents than others (this tendency is believed to be a personality trait based on the subject's need for approval), for some questions rather than others (experience show that is occurs more often when asking about voting behavior, behavior related to addiction, crimes, illnesses, sexual behavior, charity, financial matters, and being a well informed and cultured person) or for interviewer-administered rather than self-administered survey modes. For web surveys previous studies have shown that the problem of SDB is smaller than in other survey modes due to self-administration and perceived anonymity of the response process. Nevertheless, the presence of questions sensitive to SDB may negatively influence data quality in web surveys as well.
With our paper we will show in which cases the presence of questions sensitive to SDB negatively influences data quality. For this purpose we will study the behaviour of respondents in a sample of 50 surveys selected out of more than 2,000 web surveys, hosted by a web survey service at our University. We will explore how the following factors influence different indicators of data quality (item nonresponse, survey brake-off and response patterns):
- presence of questions sensitive to SDB (share among all questions, position in the questionnaire),
- reassuring subjects that their responses will be kept confidential or anonymous in the invitation page,
- characteristics of respondents.
The analysis will be performed at three levels – level of individual questions, level of questionnaire, level of respondent.
Studying several surveys with a meta-analytical approach and performing a multi-level statistical analysis is relatively rare approach when studying SDB. It provides precious insight into how presence of questions subject to SDB influences the behaviour. Based on that, new knowledge is generated about tailoring the questionnaire design and developing survey questions so to minimize nonresponse and social-desirability of answers.
Conference Homepage (abstract)
Web survey bibliography - Vehovar, V. (46)
- Overview: Online Surveys; 2017; Vehovar, V.; Lozar Manfreda, K.
- Introduction Breakoffs, Questionnaire Breakoffs and Web Questionnaire Length: A Metastudy ; 2016; Cehovin, G.; Vehovar, V.
- Investigating respondent multitasking in web surveys using paradata; 2016; Sendelbah, A.; Vehovar, V.; Slavec, A.; Petrovcic, A.
- Identifying and correcting question-wording problems: the case of Wageindicator; 2015; Slavec, A., Vehovar, V., Tijdens, K. G.
- e-Social Science Perspective on Survey Process: Towards an Integrated Web Questionnaire Development...; 2015; Vehovar, V., Petrovcic, A., Slavec, A.
- Questionnaire length and breakoffs in web surveys: a meta study; 2014; Vehovar, V., Cehovin, G.
- WebSM Study: Overview of Features and Pricing of Software Packages in 2014; 2014; Vehovar, V., Cehovin, G.
- WebSM Study: Survey Software in 2014; 2014; Vehovar, V., Cehovin, G., Mocnik, A.
- Data quality of questions sensitive to social-desirability bias in web surveys; 2012; Lozar Manfreda, K., Zajc, N., Berzelak, N., Vehovar, V.
- WebSM Study: Survey software features overview ; 2012; Vehovar, V., Cehovin, G., Kavcic, L., Lenar, J.
- Costs and Errors in Fixed and Mobile Phone Surveys; 2012; Vehovar, V., Slavec, A., Berzelak, N.
- Web Survey Software; 2012; Berzelak, N., Vehovar, V., Slavec, A.
- Surveying general population: What types of experiments are further needed?; 2012; Vehovar, V., Berzelak, N.
- Web panels in Slovenia; 2012; Lenar, J., Vehovar, V.
- Web survey software; 2011; Slavec, A., Berzelak, N., Vehovar, V.
- Web Survey Process within the Concept of eSocial Sciences; 2011; Vehovar, V.
- Optimization of dual frame telephone survey designs; 2011; Slavec, A., Vehovar, V.
- Comments on the paper - Geetha Garib: Perceived diversity among employees; 2011; Vehovar, V.
- Nonresponse in Web Surveys ; 2011; Lozar Manfreda, K., Berzelak, N., Vehovar, V.
- Cost-Error Optimization Model for Mixed-Mode Surveys; 2009; Vehovar, V., Berzelak, N., Lozar Manfreda, K.
- Preference for Mobile Interview Surveys? Interplay of costs, errors and biases; 2009; Vehovar, V., Slavec, A.
- National readership surveys: Moving from probability face-to-face surveys to Internet panels; 2009; Vehovar, V., Slavec, A., Petric, I., Sargac, M.
- Empirical Evaluation of Web Survey Software Tools: Powerful or Friendly?; 2009; Vehovar, V., Berzelak, N., Lozar Manfreda, K., Horvat, T., Debevc, M.
- Optimising survey costs in mixed mode environment; 2009; Vehovar, V., Berzelak, N., Lozar Manfreda, K., Belak, E.
- Nonresponse Bias in Surveys; 2009; Bethlehem, J., Vehovar, V., Stoop, I., Schouten, B., Shlomo, N., Skinner, C., Montaquila, J.
- "Mobile phone surveys in mixed mode environment: Balancing costs and errors"; 2009; Vehovar, V.
- Mobile phone surveys in mixed mode environment; 2009; Vehovar, V.
- Probabilistic methods in surveys and offical statistics; 2008; Vehovar, V., Zaletel, M., Seljak, R.
- Internet surveys; 2008; Lozar Manfreda, K., Vehovar, V.
- What Can We Achieve With 5 Euros? Optimization of Survey Data Quality Using Mixed-Mode Approaches; 2008; Berzelak, N., Vehovar, V., Lozar Manfreda, K.
- Measuring ties on online forums; 2008; Ziberna, A., Vehovar, V., Jakulin, A.
- Nonresponse in web surveys within the context of survey errors and survey costs; 2008; Berzelak, N., Lozar Manfreda, K., Vehovar, V.
- Integration of the web into survey data collection: Balancing costs and errors; 2008; Vehovar, V., Berzelak, N., Lozar Manfreda, K.
- Optimization of costs and errors in mixed-mode surveys; 2008; Vehovar, V., Berzelak, N., Lozar Manfreda, K.
- Overview: Online Surveys; 2008; Vehovar, V., Lozar Manfreda, K.
- Measuring ego-centered social networks on the web: Questionnaire design issues ; 2008; Vehovar, V., Lozar Manfreda, K., Koren, G., Hlebec, V.
- The Impact of Cognitive and Computer Skills on Data Quality in Computer Assisted Self Administered Questionnaires...; 2008; Brecko, B. N., Vehovar, V.
- Internet surveys; 2008; Vehovar, V., Lozar Manfreda, K., Koren, G.
- The influence of mobile telephones on telephone surveys; 2008; Kuusela, V., Callegaro, M., Vehovar, V.
- Collecting Data on Ego-Centered Social Networks on the Web: Methodological Issues; 2004; Lozar Manfreda, K., Vehovar, V., Hlebec, V.
- Mode Effect in Web Surveys; 2002; Vehovar, V., Lozar Manfreda, K.
- Nonresponse in Web Surveys; 2002; Vehovar, V., Lozar Manfreda, K., , Batagelj, Z.
- Virtual Selves and Web Surveys; 2001; Lozar Manfreda, K., Couper, M. P., Vohar, M., Rivas, S., Vehovar, V.
- Nonresponse in Web Surveys; 1999; Vehovar, V.
- Internet v Sloveniji - Projekt RIS 1996-1998.; 1998; Vehovar, V.
- Handling "Don't Know" Survey Responses: The Case of the Slovenian Plebiscite; 1995; Rubin, D. B.; Vehovar, V.; Hal, S. S.