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Question Order Affects the Measurement of Bullying Victimization Among Middle School Students
Francis L Huang1, Dewey G Cornell2
1University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Educational and Psychological Measurement
|May 26, 2018
Summary
Bullying prevalence rates in middle school may be underestimated. Question order in surveys significantly impacts reported bullying victimization, potentially inflating findings by up to 45%.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Child Development
- Survey Methodology
Background:
- Bullying among youth, particularly in middle school, is a significant concern.
- Student self-report surveys are the primary method for measuring bullying victimization.
- Previous research indicates question-order effects can bias survey responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of question-order effects on bullying prevalence in middle school students.
- To assess the reliability of current bullying measurement tools in this age group.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a randomized experiment with 5,951 middle school students.
- Manipulated the sequence of questions within bullying victimization surveys.
- Compared prevalence rates based on different question orders.
Main Results:
- Altering the order of survey questions led to a 45% increase in reported bullying prevalence rates.
- This demonstrates a substantial question-order effect in middle school bullying surveys.
Conclusions:
- Findings challenge the accuracy of widely used bullying surveys.
- The sequence of questions significantly influences the reported prevalence of bullying victimization.
- Further research is needed to refine survey methodologies for accurate measurement.
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