Do simpler item wording and response scales reduce acquiescence in personality inventories? A survey experiment

Abstract

Acquiescence (“yea-saying”) presents a major challenge in personality assessment via questionnaire. Cognitive load when responding to items seems to be related to a greater tendency to acquiesce. The aim of this study was to experimentally investigate whether reducing the complexity of personality items through simplified item wording and response scales with fewer options reduces acquiesce. Based on a heterogeneous sample of almost 6000 respondents, we probed acquiescent responding on the 60-item Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2) in a 2 × 2 design, comparing (a) the original items and simplified versions and (b) the original 5-point and a 4-point response scale without a midpoint. Results show that the response scale format did not affect acquiescent responding. Contrariwise, item simplification reduced the variance attributable to acquiescence in the total sample. Moderation analysis revealed stronger effects for lower-educated respondents.