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Using abstract and non-specific items in questionnaires: A risk of producing artificial findings in personality
Marcus Roth1, Luca A Naudszus1
1Department of Psychology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
Abstract:
This paper addresses the type of common method bias in which the covariation between constructs is influenced by the tendency to view oneself and the world in in generally positive terms. This bias is examined using the example of retrospective dream questionnaires, with the mood item from the Mannheim Dream questionnaire (MADRE; i.e., "What is the emotional tone of your dreams on average?") was paradigmatically chosen. The first study showed that this item constitutes a common factor with self-esteem, optimism, and life satisfaction, and also correlates with the affective state subjects report when completing the questionnaire. In the second study, subjects (N = 128) reported their dream mood every morning for 14 days. At the beginning and end of the 14-day period, the mood item was administered, and at the end additionally the NEO-FFI. Results show that the mood item correlates only weakly with actual dream mood based on daily reports. Furthermore, only the retrospective MADRE measure and not the mean of the specific daily measures was found to correlate with neuroticism. The results are discussed in light of the fact that global retrospective measures tend to measure mood. Thus, correlations with neuroticism could be interpreted as artificial correlations.
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