The aim of every customer experience or market research study is to obtain reliable results that reflect reality and are as free as possible from bias. In this respect, a major problem is what is known as “social desirability”. This phenomenon describes the tendency of respondents to adjust their answers to conform to social norms or expectations.
Social desirability has various causes. Due to the fear of being judged or even condemned, respondents give answers that make them look better in line with generally accepted norms. In particular, the presence of an interviewer can increase this fear and thus cause even greater distortions in the response behavior.
Distorted response behavior results in distorted results. This means that the collected data is no longer representative and meaningful. If decisions are nevertheless made based on the collected data, there is a risk that they will not have the desired effects because they do not take into account the actual opinions of the respondents.
The distortion is particularly evident when asking about satisfaction and consent. Respondents often tend to answer too positively compared to their real attitude.
However, there are also measures that can reduce socially desirable response behavior. First of all, it is essential to ensure the anonymity of the respondents and to communicate this. Many respondents are more willing to give honest answers when they know that their answers will remain anonymous. Choosing the right survey method is also very important. If a face-to-face survey is not absolutely necessary, online surveys can often elicit more honest answers. It can also be helpful to revise the scales used. Yes/no questions or response scales with extremely positive wording can encourage socially desirable answers.
Social desirability is therefore a significant challenge when conducting customer experience or market research studies, but it can be avoided to a certain extent with the right preparation and execution. However, it is important to be aware of the dangers of this phenomenon and always keep them in mind.
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Bühner, Einführung in die Test- und Fragebogenkonstruktion, 2021
Bortz & Döring, Forschungsmethoden und Evaluation, 1995