In social research, what ways can the researcher work around the social desirability effect?

Question

This is when people behave a certain way and give answers that are the most appropriate rather than factual. Is there any way around this that you know of? Thanks

Answer 1

send out questionnaire for a postal return

hand the questionnaire to them and move away while they fill it in

do not give away any non verbal cues or make any mms etc to indicate approval or disapproval

incidentally it is not that they fill in a appropriate answer but that they want to be liked - even by a researcher they have never met before- so they fill in what they think the researcher will approve of.

Answer 2

Avoid asking Labour voters.

Answer 3

I do not know of the subject

Answer 4

One way is to present an argument before asking your question. Get right to the point and tell participants that you do not wish to receive bland common answers, they will be eliminated. For example in  a poll survey - state your intentions. Get participants to think. Tell them they have time. You will consider every response in time. You will not be rushed. In some ways questions can be given with a view to how psychometric assessment works!. You need to ask the same question in different ways to extract the actual data you need. If there are many inconsistencies in the answer, you know that the answer is socially desirable but not well thought out. Does this help a bit?

Answer 5

The standard approach is to ask several questions along similar lines at differing points in the questionaire, in the hopes that the respondant trips himself up.

It's either that or a polygraph.

Or just waterboard the subject - that seems quite popular for getting answers...