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    Acquiescence Bias

    Acquiescence bias is the tendency of respondents to agree with statements regardless of their actual opinions.

    Some respondents agree with statements out of politeness, habit, or to finish the survey quickly. Mitigation: use force-balance scales (no center option), use both positively and negatively worded statements, and avoid leading questions.

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    Related terms

    Response Bias

    Response bias is any systematic tendency of respondents to answer questions inaccurately, either intentionally or unconsciously.

    Central Tendency Bias

    Central tendency bias is the tendency of respondents to avoid extreme options on a rating scale, clustering toward the middle.

    Leading Question

    A leading question is one whose wording suggests a particular answer, biasing the respondent toward it.

    Social Desirability Bias

    Social desirability bias is the tendency of respondents to answer in ways they believe will be viewed favorably by others.

    Recall Bias

    Recall bias is a systematic error caused by respondents inaccurately remembering past events, behaviors, or feelings — usually worsening with elapsed time.

    Selection Bias

    Selection bias is a systematic error arising when the people included in a survey differ from the target population in ways that affect the outcome.