SURVEY CONFESSIONthe impact of survey design on honesty

alex wheatley

“have aspirations”

“embarrassment”

“desire to take the study”

“privacy concerns”

“won’t admit”

“hard to remember”

“have aspirations”

“embarrassment”

“desire to take the study”

“privacy concerns”

“won’t admit”

“hard to remember”

barriers to truth:things we’re scared to tell the truth aboutthings we lie to ourselves about

things we want to lie about

the power of a promisevs

a standard healthcare survey introduction

Questions we’re scared to tell the truth about

introductions are key

LIETRUT

H

measuring a lie:Did

you e

ver pla

y truan

t from s c

h ool?

Have

you e

ver thro

wn a s

ic kie a

t work ?

Have

you b

roken

the 70

mile an

hour s

peed

limit?

Have

you e

ver be

en off

ered ille

gal dru

gs?

Have

you e

ver pu

rc has

ed illeg

al drug

s ?

Have

you e

ver tak

en illeg

a l drug

s ?

Do yo

u think

you g

ood a

t your jo

b?

Do yo

u think

you a

re bette

r than th

e ave

rage p

erson

?

Have

you e

ver vie

wed p

ornog

raphy

online

?

Have

you to

ld som

eone

you lo

ve the

m whe

n you

didn't m

ean it?

Have

you lie

d to a p

olice o

fficer?

Have

you e

ver co

mmitted

an ac

t of adu

ltery?

Have

you e

ver c o

mmitted

an ac

t o f road

rage?

Have

you s

tolen a

nythin

g from a

shop

?

Have

you s

tolen a

nythin

g from w

ork?

Do yo

u belie

ve in g

lobal w

arming

?

Have

you e

ver ha

d any

racially

prejud

ice fee

lings?

Do yo

u alwa

ys wa

sh yo

ur han

ds in th

e toilet?

Do yo

u eve

r have

s trong

ly neg

ative fe

elings

abou

t your p

artner?

Do yo

u hav

e any

secre

ts that y

ou h a

ve no

t to ld an

yone

?

Do yo

u love

your p

artner?

Have

you d

onate

d any

thing to

c harity

?

If you w

ork at h

ome d

o you

work le

s s?

Have

you re

c ycle

d a pre

s ent g

iv en to

you b

y giv in

g it to s o

meo n

e els e

?

Do yo

u like w

atchin

g footb

a ll?

Do yo

u think

Shak

espe

are is b

oring?

-15%

-10%

-5%

0%

5%

10%

Healthcare Intro Promise

More honest claims on every question

Have you ever viewed pornography online?

45%yes

55%yes

Have you ever been offered illegal drugs?

31%

yes

41%yes

Do you always wash your hands in the toilet?

29%no

38%no

13units

12unitstrust isn’t the issue:

Questions we lie to ourselves about

remembering

17units 20units

averaging

Must break down the tasktwo problems to tackle:

remembering averaging

being honest

All about honesty need to ask less directly

Questions we want to lie about

Do you own a tablet?

Do you own a tablet?

before

68%now

50%

Things we’re scared to tell the truth about

Things we lie to ourselves about

Things we want to lie about

the honesty check list:

introduction is key

break down the task

ask less directly