Which of the following standards is typically applied when judging the truthfulness of the responses people make to survey questions?
A) generally be skeptical of people's responses as probably not truthful unless there is strong evidence that they are truthful
B) generally be skeptical of people's responses as probably not truthful and statistically adjust the responses
C) generally accept people's responses as truthful unless there is reason to do otherwise
D) generally accept people's responses as not truthful

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Generally, survey researchers assume that respondents answer truthfully, unless there is a reason to doubt their responses. This assumption is based on the principle of good faith, which holds that people generally want to be truthful in their dealings with others. However, survey researchers also recognize that respondents may not always be able or willing to provide accurate or complete information, especially on sensitive or personal topics. Therefore, they use various methods to encourage respondents to be honest and to check the validity of their responses, such as asking follow-up questions, using multiple measures or sources of information, or comparing survey data with other data sources. It is important to note that even with these methods, there can still be some degree of error or bias in survey responses.

Which of the Following Standards Is Typically Applied When Judging