Extreme Response Style in Correlational Research

• Authors: Kowalczyk Katarzyna Kinga , Mulak Agnieszka , Król Grzegorz

Title variants

PL

Skrajny Styl Odpowiadania w badaniach korelacyjnych

• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Extreme Response Style, defined as the tendency to consistently use (or avoid) the extreme ends of response scales in questionnaires with a multiple response category format (Clark, 2000), is one of the most studied response styles. The reason for this is its potential to distort survey results, especially in cross-cultural research (Cheung & Rensvold, 2000). Furthermore, the relationships between ERS and most frequently analyzed socio-demographic variables (such as gender, age, education) are inconclusive. We replicated a number of well-established effects, using data from the World Value Survey, and expanded these analyses by including an ERS index, to determine its possible effect on the original results. We found no significant effects of ERS in any of the replicated studies, as long as the ERS index is uncorrelated with the dependent variable. We followed with a theoretical model and a recount of simulation results in an attempt to define boundaries for the phenomenon of ERS significantly affecting research conclusions. We argue that even for interval-level correlation measures, e.g. as used in the ordinary least squares regression analysis, the effect on real data is negligible.

PL

Extreme Response Style (Skrajny Styl Odpowiadania), definiowany jako skłonność do konsekwentnego korzystania (albo unikania) z krańcowych odpowiedzi w kwestionariuszach (Clark, 2000), jest jednym z najczęściej badanych stylów odpowiadania. Uważa się, że może on zniekształcać wyniki analiz, szczególnie w badaniach międzykulturowych (Cheung i Rensvold, 2000). Wyniki badań nad związkiem ERS z innymi zmiennymi (np. płcią, wiekiem) również są niejednoznaczne. W celu sprawdzenia wpływu ERS, wykorzystując dane z World Value Survey, zreplikowaliśmy kilka analiz, dołączając do nich wskaźnik ERS. W przypadku, gdy wskaźnik ERS nie był skorelowany ze zmienną zależną, nie wpływał on na wyniki. W następnym kroku przeprowadziliśmy symulacje mające na celu określenie sytuacji, w których ERS mógłby istotnie wpływać na relacje pomiędzy zmiennymi. Uważamy, że nawet w przypadku korelacji mierzonych na skalach przedziałowych wykorzystywanych np. w analizie regresji metodą najmniejszych kwadratów, efekt ten jest zaniedbywalny.

Keywords

EN

extreme response style; response style; survey research

PL

style odpowiedzi; skrajny styl odpowiedzi; badania sondażowe

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Warszawski. Wydział Nauk Ekonomicznych
• Journal: Problemy Zarządzania
• Year: 2016
• Issue: 2/2016 (60), t.2
• Pages: 61-82

Dates

published

2016-06-30

Contributors

author

Kowalczyk Katarzyna Kinga

• Department of Managerial Psychology and Sociology, University of Warsaw

author

Mulak Agnieszka

• Institute of Social Studies, University of Warsaw

author

Król Grzegorz

• Department of Managerial Psychology and Sociology, University of Warsaw

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Identifiers

ISSN

1644-9584

DOI

10.7172/1644-9584.60.4