Validation of Optional Randomized Response Technique to Circumvent Social Desirability Response Bias in Sensitive Survey Questions
by
Sat Gupta
Department of Math/Stats and Psychology, University of Southern Maine, Portland
Coauthors: Bill Thornton, Department of Math/Stats and Psychology, University of Southern Maine

Randomized response technique is an important tool in circumventing response bias in personal interview survey involving sensitive questions. In this paper we use an optional randomized response technique in a campus survey involving students enrolled in psychology courses. The purpose of the survey was to examine a variety of social issues such as smoking, drug use, alcohol use etc. among students. The results are compared with bench mark results based on an anonymous/confidential survey, and also with results based on the "bogus pipeline" technique which has been used by psychologists to elicit more accurate responses to sensitive, personal questions. This technique requires attaching electrodes to the fingers of the respondent's non- preferred hand and wiring to an automated data acquisition computer system. Through a series of test questions the respondent is made to believe that the system can detect the truthfulness of a person’s response. The purpose of the research was to show that the optional randomized response technique is more accurate while being less intrusive.

Date received: September 10, 2001

Copyright © 2001 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # cagd-66.