Social Desirability Bias in the Reporting of Alcohol Consumption: A Randomized Trial.

Kypri, K; Wilson, A; Attia, J; Sheeran, P; Miller, P; McCambridge, J

Social Desirability Bias in the Reporting of Alcohol Consumption: A Randomized Trial.

Kypri, K Wilson, A

Attia, J Sheeran, P Miller, P McCambridge, J

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Publisher:: ALCOHOL RES DOCUMENTATION INC CENT ALCOHOL STUD RUTGERS UNIV
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: J Stud Alcohol Drugs, 2016, 77, (3), pp. 526-531
Issue Date:: 2016-05

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Kypri, K
dc.contributor.author	Wilson, A https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5681-9611
dc.contributor.author	Attia, J
dc.contributor.author	Sheeran, P
dc.contributor.author	Miller, P
dc.contributor.author	McCambridge, J
dc.date.accessioned	2022-08-16T03:17:42Z
dc.date.available	2022-08-16T03:17:42Z
dc.date.issued	2016-05
dc.identifier.citation	J Stud Alcohol Drugs, 2016, 77, (3), pp. 526-531
dc.identifier.issn	1937-1888
dc.identifier.issn	1938-4114
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/160315
dc.description.abstract	OBJECTIVE: To investigate reporting of alcohol consumption, we manipulated the contexts of questions in ways designed to induce social desirability bias. METHOD: We undertook a two-arm, parallel-group, individually randomized trial at an Australian public university. Students were recruited by email to a web-based "Research Project on Student Health Behavior." Respondents answered nine questions about their physical activity, diet, and smoking. They were unknowingly randomized to a group presented with either (A) three questions about their alcohol consumption or (B) seven questions about their alcohol dependence and problems (under a prominent header labeled "Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test"), followed by the same three alcohol consumption questions from (A). RESULTS: A total of 3,594 students (mean age = 27, SD = 10) responded and were randomized: 1,778 to Group A and 1,816 to Group B. Outcome measures were the number of days they drank alcohol, the typical number of drinks they consumed per drinking day, and the number of days they consumed six or more drinks. The primary analysis included participants with any alcohol consumption in the preceding 4 weeks (1,304 in Group A; 1,340 in Group B) using between-group, two-tailed t tests. RESULTS: In Groups A and B, respectively, means (and SDs) of the number of days drinking were 5.89 (5.92) versus 6.06 (6.12), p = .49; typical number of drinks per drinking day: 4.02 (3.87) versus 3.82 (3.76), p = .17; and number of days consuming six or more drinks: 1.69 (2.94) versus 1.67 (3.25), p = .56. CONCLUSIONS: We could not reject the null hypothesis because earlier questions about alcohol dependence and problems showed no sign of biasing the respondents' subsequent reports of alcohol consumption. These data support the validity of university students' reporting of alcohol consumption in web-based studies.
dc.format	Print
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	ALCOHOL RES DOCUMENTATION INC CENT ALCOHOL STUD RUTGERS UNIV
dc.relation.ispartof	J Stud Alcohol Drugs
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.15288/jsad.2016.77.526
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1701 Psychology
dc.subject.classification	Substance Abuse
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Alcohol Drinking
dc.subject.mesh	Alcoholism
dc.subject.mesh	Bias
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Social Desirability
dc.subject.mesh	Students
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Alcoholism
dc.subject.mesh	Alcohol Drinking
dc.subject.mesh	Social Desirability
dc.subject.mesh	Students
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Bias
dc.title	Social Desirability Bias in the Reporting of Alcohol Consumption: A Randomized Trial.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	77
utslib.location.activity	United States
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
utslib.for	1701 Psychology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-08-16T03:17:41Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	77
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To investigate reporting of alcohol consumption, we manipulated the contexts of questions in ways designed to induce social desirability bias. METHOD: We undertook a two-arm, parallel-group, individually randomized trial at an Australian public university. Students were recruited by email to a web-based "Research Project on Student Health Behavior." Respondents answered nine questions about their physical activity, diet, and smoking. They were unknowingly randomized to a group presented with either (A) three questions about their alcohol consumption or (B) seven questions about their alcohol dependence and problems (under a prominent header labeled "Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test"), followed by the same three alcohol consumption questions from (A). RESULTS: A total of 3,594 students (mean age = 27, SD = 10) responded and were randomized: 1,778 to Group A and 1,816 to Group B. Outcome measures were the number of days they drank alcohol, the typical number of drinks they consumed per drinking day, and the number of days they consumed six or more drinks. The primary analysis included participants with any alcohol consumption in the preceding 4 weeks (1,304 in Group A; 1,340 in Group B) using between-group, two-tailed t tests. RESULTS: In Groups A and B, respectively, means (and SDs) of the number of days drinking were 5.89 (5.92) versus 6.06 (6.12), p = .49; typical number of drinks per drinking day: 4.02 (3.87) versus 3.82 (3.76), p = .17; and number of days consuming six or more drinks: 1.69 (2.94) versus 1.67 (3.25), p = .56. CONCLUSIONS: We could not reject the null hypothesis because earlier questions about alcohol dependence and problems showed no sign of biasing the respondents' subsequent reports of alcohol consumption. These data support the validity of university students' reporting of alcohol consumption in web-based studies.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/160315