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Abstract

Two different perspectives on agreeing response set exist in the literature. Based upon one perspective, agreeing response set is seen primarily as a statistical nuisance which must be controlled or suppressed by appropriate mathematical techniques. The second perspective conceptualizes agreeing response set as a manifestation of the respondent's personality. Building upon research which conceptualizes agreeing response set as a personality variable, two predictions were tested using a sample of 203 Air Force trainees, (a) nay-sayers maintain more belief consistency than do yea-sayers and (b) nay-sayers are more intellectually-oriented while yea-sayers are more emotionally-oriented. Results of the study supported both predictions. Implications of the results are briefly discussed.

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Agreeing Response Set: Statistical Nuisance or Meaningful Personality Concept?

Abstract

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References