Interviewer-Respondent Bias Resulting from Adding Supplemental Questions

Gary M. Shapiro

Abstract:
Four cases are presented in which there were seemingly innocuous questionnaire changes, i.e., the addition of supplementary questions. In each case, there was a measurable impact on the basic results and evidence that respondent or interviewer bias was affected. In three cases, questions asked before the supplementary questions, were affected. The results and alternative explanations are discussed in detail, together with some implications for questionnaire design.

Keywords:
Questionnaire; conditioning effect; response bias; probing questions.