Effects of Introductory Phrases and Tonal-Facial Suggestion upon Question-Elicited Responses

Abstract

18 variously-biased phrasings of 2 questions were administered by 20 interviewers pretending to endorse the given phrasing to 1164 college students. Random telephone interviews and quota personal interviews indicated that substantial ‘changes' in ‘opinion’ (on the order of about 13%) could be effected.

Infusing Lesbigay Research into the Counseling Research Classroom

“…One of his more relevant early studies was that which measured whether questionnaires can be affected by interviewers who pretend to endorse the questions they ask. He found that substantial changes in opinion could be effected in this manner (Cameron, 1968). Of his early work, most noteworthy was his research on the use of tobacco.…”