Participant bias: Types, Reasons, & Measures

In this section of the article, we will look at various types of participant biases and some closely related to it.

1. Acquiescence bias

Acquiescence bias, commonly known as “yea-saying,” is a type of participant bias in which survey participants tend to agree with all the items in a measure. 

Because the participant immediately supports all statements, even though the results are conflicting responses, this bias may indicate a sort of dishonest reporting.

For instance, if a participant agrees with the statement, “I like to spend time with people,” and later again agrees with the statement, “I prefer to spend time alone,” the data would be unreliable.

2. Confirmation bias 

This type of participant bias results from the tendency of people to seek out information that supports their own opinions while rejecting information that contradicts them. 

The researcher may disregard all contradicting information and rely solely on participant data to validate their hypothesis, thus resulting in skewed results. 

Imagine, for instance, that someone thinks left-handed people are more imaginative than right-handed people.

3. Demand Characteristics Bias 

Any research can fall victim to demand characteristics bias. It happens when respondents try to understand the goal and adjust their behavior or response to be “right.” 

Here are some of the biased characteristics;

1. Rumor: There is news about the company in the market every other day. If respondents know about any of the information, whether fake or real, they start to believe it and follow.
   For example, they might have heard that if you fill out a brand recognition survey with positive answers, you would be given a free 1-year subscription to the brand’s service.

2. Setting: The brand or the company that conducts a survey, is influenced by the area in which a survey is set or performed. 
3. Communication: Communication plays a vital role in influencing the response. Any kind of verbal or non-verbal communication between the respondent and the survey conductor can influence the response to the survey. 

4. The Halo effect 

In an experiment, this bias also occurs because we tend to overlook the flaws of people we like and look for the best in them regardless. To gauge a person’s opinions, a researcher should anticipate that if a subject has a favorable opinion of something, they will feel the same way about items that are similar to what they enjoy. 

For instance, a player who enjoys football might also enjoy other ball-related sports, like basketball, handball, and volleyball.

5. Question Order Bias

While conducting a survey, it is important to look after the order of the question you ask them. Which question you put first and how you arrange them can influence a participant’s response. 

Contrast Effect: 

Sometimes, how and when you ask the questions leads to a difference in the answer. 

For example, if you survey customers before any service about their overall satisfaction with the banquet at your restaurant, the satisfaction level may be very low. However, when you ask about specific services such as reservation, food, staff behavior, hygiene, etc., the satisfaction can be higher than for specific events. 

Assimilation Effect: 

Grouping questions together can also lead to participant bias. Respondents often provide answers which are consistent with their previous answers. 

For example, let’s say you ask your participant if they like to party every weekend, and most of them respond “yes.” When you follow it up by asking what they like to do every weekend, the same participant will reply they like to party. 

6. Social desirability

When respondents select responses based on what they believe to be socially acceptable, this happens. Participants may respond in a way that results in a greater proportion of “preferred” answers or a smaller proportion of “undesirable” responses.

The survey questions most likely impacted by participants’ social prejudice are those dealing with health, wealth, politics, and religion. 

For instance, if a participant is asked, “How frequently do you drink alcohol?” they might respond, “Least frequently,” which may not be accurate. Most people would downplay driving after drinking because it would reflect negatively on them and elicit negative reactions from others.

7. Extreme response bias 

This participant bias arises when respondents come up with answers wildly out of line with their true opinions. Usually, it is the outcome of an underlying bias.

For instance, excessive response bias also occurs when a responder chooses the most “positive” responses in a customer satisfaction survey while under the influence of acquiescence bias. Extreme response bias can also result from habituation bias, as respondents may routinely select the lowest or highest option out of habit or exhaustion.

To lessen excessive response bias, researchers should ensure question variety, unsuggestive wording, and respondent anonymity.

8. Non-response bias 

When potential respondents choose not to participate or finish a survey, this is known as non-response bias. Numerous factors, including respondent tiredness, privacy concerns, a difficult survey design, awkward question wording, or a survey that is irrelevant to the respondent, might cause this.

For instance, if a survey has too many open-ended questions, respondents could feel overburdened and decide not to finish it. Researchers should keep surveys as short as possible, with precise wording and instructions, and seek respondents relevant to the survey issue to reduce non-response bias.