Effects of item presentation mode on degree of leniency bias in responses to field research questionnaires were studied. Two modes were examined: first with items measuring the same dimensions grouped together and second with such items distributed randomly. The random mode showed substantially less leniency response bias. (Author/BW)

The empirical evidence does not support the prevailing conventional wisdom that it is advisable to mix positively and negatively worded items in psychological measures to counteract acquiescence response bias. An experiment, evaluating subjects' ability to respond accurately to both positive and reversed items on a questionnaire, analyzed post-hoc…

This research examines further the hypothesis that subjects tend to allot figures to the negative poles of constructs approximately 38 percent of the time. Sixty Canadian undergraduates judged 20 nonsense words as if these were the names of persons on 20 bipolar constructs. Results clearly supported the hypothesis. (Author)

The author shows that correlation studies can be affected by self-selection bias when questionnaire response is poor, contrary to the common supposition that only loss of degrees of freedom or precision result. Tests are suggested for the ensuing self-selection bias. (Author/LMO)

Investigated issues associated with stimulating increased return rates to a mail questionnaire among school counselors. Results show that as the number of incentives received increased, the return rates increased in a linear fashion. The incentives did not introduce response error or affect the reliability of the Counselor Function Inventory.…

This brief review of research examines the mail questionnaire as a research tool. Major topics reported are the advantages and disadvantages of mail surveys response rates, and questionnaire construction. Among the advantages reported are ease of distribution and tabulation, the possibility of a large sample and geographic range, low cost,…

The hypothesis was advanced that questionnaire measures of Psychoticism (P) may represent an estimate of randomness in responding, rather than reflecting reactions to item contents. Results showed P did not correlate with measures of random. (Author)

A study of the construction and factor validity of the Response to Child Incest Questionnaire, a self-report instrument for assessing commonly reported symptoms of adult survivors of incest, is reported. The instrument's usefulness as a pre- and post-treatment measure and further research needs are discussed. (MSE)

In a study of questioning formats, children and adults answered spelling questions in an open-ended condition or one of two close-ended conditions where options were likely or unlikely. Participants presented with unlikely-response options generated their own responses more often than participants presented with likely-response options. Children…

Questionnaires are vulnerable to joking and suffer from lack of agreement regarding the unitary traits through which scales are validated. Eight basic requirements for construction of factor-true scales are established and it is shown that one or more of the requirements is missing for 80 percent of recently published questionnaires. (Author)

The randomized response technique, constructed by Warner (1965), was designed to reduce the number of untruthful responses to sensitive questionnaire items. The present study investigated the effectiveness of this technique for groups differing in the tendency to give socially desirable responses to questionnaire items. A questionnaire concerning…

A literature review and bibliography on questionnaire construction are presented. The broad definition of questionnaire includes scales, structured interview forms, survey forms, and similar paper and pencil instruments used to elicit responses and collect information. A comprehensive literature search of journal articles, books, and reports in…

Two concepts predominate in studies of spatial invasion: territoriality (personalization and defense of a fixed spatial area) and personal space (a portable area surrounding the individual, which is responsive to environmental change). Spatial invasions were carried out by occupying a marked seat (invade condition), and adjacent seat (adjacent…

The DELPHI procedure requires respondents to reply to several questionnaire iterations with subsequent rounds containing previous round feedback. This study investigated the methodology (response rates, effects of feedback) and offered evidence that large-scale DELPHI surveys are not as advantageous as has previously been indicated. Suggestions…