Answers without questions: a note on response style in questionnaires

摘要: Summmy.-A "questionnaire" without questions was given to 175 first-year students. It is assumed that in such an ambiguous situation, the influence of response style maximal. The students tended prefer more positively formulated or less extreme categories. These styles, however, did not seem answers meaningful from attitude scale. questionnaires ate often influenced by tendencies. respondents do only take content into consideration but also formal aspect and answers. Some subjects systematically first last alternative instead 'positive' answers, as 'yes,' 'true,' 'I agree,' etc.; for overview tendencies, see Nederhof (1981). styles seems dependent on clarity familiarity questions. If question extremely unfamiliar, feel obliged construct answer spot. They then inclined consider all kinds (irrelevant) contextual information anchor (Van IJzendoorn & Van der Veer, 1984). Vaguely stated could elicit same tendency. We may assume sometimes researchers which make uncertain about 'right' because unfamiliar (Dessens Jansen, 1981). However, are seldom devoid meaning, forcing aspects questionnaire choosing answer. This happen if posed idiosyncratic terminology refer topics respondents. One would like know operate setting. 'questionnaire' (Berg Rapaport, 1954) creates requires choose among different basis their presentation. By answering a non-existing question, forced solve paradoxical problem; they have sense meaningless situation. In doing so, one can study its purest form, provided willing complete 'questionnaire.' Using questions, three studies Rapa