Research on the effects of question-wording in survey research has shown that response patterns are affected by minor changes in wording. A special case of wording effects on perception and response occurs in sex-role research where evidence indicates that generic “man” is perceived as gender “man.” Contrary to these findings, a 1977 experiment with 437 college students responding to items from Rosen and Strodtbeck's scale for achievement value showed that variation in gender-wording had little effect on response patterns.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
LueptowL. B.Parental status and influence and the achievement orientations of high school seniors. Sociology of Education, 1975, 48, 91–110.
2.
LueptowL. B.Social change and sex role change in adolescent orientations toward life, work and achievement: 1964–1975. Social Psychology Quarterly, in press.
3.
RobinsonJ. P.ShaverP. R.Measures of social psychological attitudes. Ann Arbor: Univer. of Michigan Institute for Social Research, 1973.
4.
RosenB. C.The achievement syndrome. American Sociological Review, 1956, 21, 203–211.
5.
RosenB. C.Race, ethnicity, and the achievement syndrome. American Sociological Review, 1959, 24, 47–60.
6.
SchumanH.PresserS.Question wording as an independent variable in survey analysis. Sociological Methods and Research, 1977, 6, 151–170.
