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Surveys

Surveys

Often, psychologists develop surveys as a means of gathering data. Surveys are lists of questions to be answered by research participants, and can be delivered as paper-and-pencil questionnaires, administered electronically, or conducted verbally. Generally, the survey itself can be completed in a short time, and the ease of administering a survey makes it easy to collect data from a large number of people.

Self-Report Tests of Personality

Self-Report Tests of Personality

Self-report inventories are objective personality assessments that use multiple-choice items or numbered scales, typically ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). They are often called Likert scales after Rensis Likert. These inventories are widely used due to their ease of administration and cost-effectiveness. One of the most prominent examples is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), initially developed in the 1940s to assess abnormal personality traits.

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...

Five-Factor Theory of Personality

Five-Factor Theory of Personality

The five-factor model, often called the Big Five personality traits, is widely accepted in psychology as a comprehensive framework for understanding personality. These five traits — Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism — are often remembered using the acronym OCEAN.
Openness reflects creativity, curiosity, and openness to new experiences. Individuals scoring high in openness are imaginative, have a wide range of interests, and are independent...

Social Proof

Social proof is a form of persuasion based on comparison and conformity. People compare their behavior and actions to what others are doing and will change to conform to do what their peers do.

Social Cognitive Perspective on Personality

Social Cognitive Perspective on Personality

Social cognitive perspectives on personality emphasize the importance of conscious awareness, beliefs, expectations, and goals in shaping behavior. These perspectives incorporate behaviorist principles, such as learning through reinforcement and conditioning, but extend beyond them by highlighting human reasoning and planning. Unlike traditional behaviorist views, social cognitive theory focuses on how individuals reflect on their past experiences and plan for future outcomes by considering...

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Related Experiment Video

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Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

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Published on: April 18, 2017

Personality and Survey Satisficing.

Patrick Sturgis¹, Ian Brunton-Smith²

¹Professor, Department of Methodology, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

Public Opinion Quarterly

|November 29, 2023

Summary

Personality traits like Conscientiousness and Agreeableness significantly influence survey response styles. Individuals low in these traits are more prone to satisficing, impacting data quality in research.

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Survey Methodology
Behavioral Science

Background:

Satisficing response styles (midpoint, straightlining, Don't Know) can compromise survey data integrity.
The role of personality traits in motivating or inhibiting satisficing behaviors is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the influence of specific Big Five Personality Inventory dimensions (Conscientiousness, Agreeableness) on satisficing behaviors.
To assess the impact of cognitive ability on satisficing, using a direct measure rather than proxies.

Main Methods:

Examined the relationship between personality traits and satisficing indicators across different survey administration modes and sampling methods.
Utilized a direct measure of cognitive ability alongside personality assessments.

Main Results:

Low Conscientiousness and Agreeableness strongly predict higher rates of satisficing, including midpoint and straightlining.
Cognitive ability demonstrated significant effects across all satisficing indicators.
Findings were consistent across face-to-face and self-administered surveys, and probability and nonprobability samples.

Conclusions:

Conscientiousness and Agreeableness are key personality components influencing survey response quality.
Direct cognitive ability measures are crucial for understanding satisficing.
Personality effects on satisficing appear to be causal, highlighting implications for survey design and respondent selection.