In survey studies, answers to questions regarding sex, drinking, drug use, income, and church attendance tend to be less than truthful, indicating a distinct
A) courtesy bias.
B) actor-observer bias.
C) halo effect.
D) Barnum effect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Courtesy bias refers to the tendency for survey respondents to give socially acceptable answers rather than disclosing their true thoughts or behaviors. This can be especially true for sensitive topics like sex, drinking, drug use, income, and religion. Actors-observer bias is a tendency to attribute one's own behavior to external factors and those of others to internal factors. The halo effect is a bias in which the perception of one trait (such as physical attractiveness) influences the perception of other unrelated traits. The Barnum effect refers to the tendency for people to accept general or vague descriptions of themselves as accurate or personally meaningful, even when those descriptions could apply to many people.

In Survey Studies, Answers to Questions Regarding Sex, Drinking, Drug