Point and click, carefully: investigating inconsistent response styles in middle school and college students involved in web-based longitudinal substance use research.

摘要: This study investigated inconsistent responding to survey items by participants involved in longitudinal, web-based substance use research. We also examined cross-sectional and prospective predictors of responding. Middle school (N = 1,023) college students 995) from multiple sites the United States responded online surveys assessing related variables three waves data collection. applied a procedure for creating an index at each wave that identifying pairs with considerable redundancy calculating discrepancies responses these items. Inconsistent was generally low School sample moderate College sample, individuals showing only modest stability over time. Multiple regression analyses identified several baseline variables-including demographic, personality, behavioral variables-that were uniquely associated both cross-sectionally prospectively. Alcohol involvement showed some bivariate associations responding, but largely accounted other factors. The results suggest high levels carelessness or inconsistency do not appear characterize participants' longitudinal support indices as tool potentially problematic responders.