SOCIAL CONFORMITY AND RESPONSE BIAS REVISITED: THE INFLUENCE OF “OTHERS” ON JAPANESE RESPONDENTS

This study was undertaken to investigate the impact of other respondents’ answers on individual responses in survey studies. The study employed four different conditions and manipulated the direction and the level of social pressure. The results have confirmed that social desirability bias hugely impacts individual answers. It was found that respondents are seven times more likely to choose a socially unacceptable option if majority of the preceding respondents also have chosen the same option. Additionally, the existence of an interviewer during data collection was found to be a factor pressuring respondents to give more socially acceptable responses.