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Response bias is a tendency for participants to respond inaccurately or falsely to survey or interview questions, impacting the validity of self-reported data. Various factors, including question phrasing and participant desire to provide socially acceptable answers, can lead to this bias, creating systematic errors in research outcomes.
Example
For instance, in a study on depression, elderly participants might underreport their symptoms due to societal stigma, illustrating how response bias can skew survey results.
How to overcome this bias
To mitigate response bias, researchers can use careful question phrasing, assure participants of confidentiality, and employ anonymous surveys to encourage honest responses.