American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

Which bias involves a respondent's misleading answers to maintain social approval?

1. Social desirability bias

2. Lead time bias

3. Confounding bias

4. Censoring

The correct answer is: Social desirability bias

The correct choice is social desirability bias, which occurs when respondents provide answers that they believe will be viewed favorably by others, rather than providing truthful or accurate responses. This type of bias is particularly common in surveys and research that involve sensitive topics, where individuals may feel pressure to conform to societal norms and expectations. As a result, their responses may not accurately reflect their true beliefs, behaviors, or feelings, potentially skewing the results of a study. Understanding social desirability bias is crucial for researchers because it highlights the need for careful consideration of how questions are framed and the context in which they are asked. Strategies such as ensuring confidentiality or using indirect questioning methods can help mitigate this bias, allowing for more accurate data collection. The other biases mentioned do not relate to the concept of maintaining social approval. Lead time bias pertains to the illusion of increased survival duration due to earlier diagnosis without actual improvement in outcomes. Confounding bias refers to the distortion that happens when an outside variable affects both the dependent and independent variables, leading to misleading conclusions. Censoring is a term often used in survival analysis, referring to incomplete information regarding participants' outcomes. Each of these biases operates under different mechanisms and contexts, distinguishing them from social desirability bias's influence on respondents