title: Understanding and controlling response bias in needs assessment studies.
abstract: This study demonstrated that estimates of agency awareness in the typical needs assessment study are probably inflated by a response bias labeled "agency awareness overclaming." Overclaimers (respondents who reported being aware of fictitious agencies) reported being aware of more real agencies than other respondents. Estimates of agency awareness may also be biased, because certain segments of the population were more likely to exhibit agency awareness overclaiming. Age was positively correlated with overclaiming, and African Americans were more likely to exhibit agency awareness overclaiming than Caucasians. General overclaiming was correlated with agency awareness overclaiming, but social desirability and acquiescence were not.
authors.affiliation: University of Missouri-St. Louis 63121-4499, USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Calsyn
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Winter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D015982:Bias; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D012928:Social Desirability; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology