Response bias in community surveys of mental health: Systematic bias or random noise?

This paper examines the effects on a mental health survey of three forms of response bias— naysaying, perceived trait desirability and need for social approval. It is suggested that, although these three forms of response bias may be statistically associated with either the independent or the depend...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science & medicine 1976-09, Vol.10 (9), p.497-502
Main Authors: Gove, Walter R., McCorkel, James, Fain, Terry, Hughes, Michael D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bias
Community Mental Health
Educational Status
Ethnic Groups
Female
Health Surveys
Humans
Income
Male
Mental Disorders - epidemiology
Methodology (Data Collection)
Research Responses
Responses
Self-Assessment
Sex Factors
Social Desirability
Surveys
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:This paper examines the effects on a mental health survey of three forms of response bias— naysaying, perceived trait desirability and need for social approval. It is suggested that, although these three forms of response bias may be statistically associated with either the independent or the dependent variables, it is mmore meaningful to introduce them as controls on the relation between the independent and dependent variables. Data from a moderately poor, predominately black population suggest that these three forms of response bias are statistically associated with symptoms of depression and other forms of mental illness. Nonetheless, response bias generally does not act as a form of systematic bias that invalidates the pattern of relationships observed with traditional independent variables, but instead acts as random noise.
ISSN:0037-7856
0277-9536
DOI:10.1016/0037-7856(76)90118-9