Keywords

Careless Responding, Insufficient Effort Responding, Vignette Study, Experimental Vignette Methodology (EVM)

Abstract

Careless responding occurs when participants answer survey items without considering their content and poses a serious threat to data quality. However, while past research has examined its deleterious effects on both survey and low-stakes cognitive ability measures, little research has focused on careless responding in experimental vignette methodology (EVM) research. EVM studies require participants to attend to one or more experimental vignettes, which are carefully crafted written scenarios designed to manipulate a focal variable across conditions. However, if participants are careless in attending to study vignettes, they may not be exposed to the researchers’ intended experimental manipulations, thereby precluding them from providing high-quality responses to subsequent items. Thus, it would benefit future researchers to have tools capable of detecting carelessness and to understand factors that may promote it in EVM studies. The purposes of this study are twofold. The first goal is to validate existing indices of careless responding as effective tools for screening careless participants in EVM studies. Second, using Krosnick’s general model of satisficing as a theoretical framework, this study seeks to explore the effects of two possible antecedents of carelessness in EVM studies that could be targeted to prevent it (i.e., vignette length and participant commitment). An experimental vignette design, in which both vignette length and participant commitment were manipulated, was used to test the hypotheses. Results provide some support for using a normative threshold approach to derive page-time cut-off scores to screen for participant carelessness. However, neither vignette length nor participant commitment was significantly related to participant carelessness.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Bowling, Nathan

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Identifier

DP0053142

Download

Share

COinS
 

Accessibility Statement

This item was created or digitized prior to April 24, 2027, or is a reproduction of legacy media created before that date. It is preserved in its original, unmodified state specifically for research, reference, or historical recordkeeping. In accordance with the ADA Title II Final Rule, the University Libraries provides accessible versions of archival materials upon request. To request an accommodation for this item, please submit an accessibility request form.