Task Conditions, Response Formulation Processes, and Response Accuracy for Behavioral Frequency Questions in Surveys

Abstract

Results from two studies confirm recent findings that (1) survey respondents often use nonepisodic processes to answer frequency questions about autobiographical events, and (2) task conditions, such as the number of events to be reported and the time used in response formulation, affect the processes used. Results suggest that cognitive mechanisms other than episode omission and episode telescoping contribute to response errors. It appears that new methodological approaches, such as directly or indirectly manipulating the response formulation process, may be useful in attempts to improve the accuracy of behavioral frequency reports in surveys.