You are a taking part in a survey which asks about your attitudes toward physical punishment of children. Even though you believe that spanking is sometimes necessary, you answer that you are opposed to any sort of physical punishment. Which of the following terms best describes why you answered the way that you did?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Social desirability bias refers to the tendency of survey respondents to answer questions in a way that they believe is socially acceptable, rather than giving their true opinion. In this case, the respondent believes that physical punishment is sometimes necessary but may feel that admitting this could be seen as socially unacceptable, leading them to give an answer that is in line with what they perceive to be the "right" attitude toward physical punishment.

You Are a Taking Part in a Survey Which Asks