ICT skills measurement in social surveys: Can we trust self-reports?

Marta Palczyńska,Maja Rynko

doi:10.1007/s11135-020-01031-4

Abstract

Self-reports are the most common way of measuring information and communications technology (ICT) skills in social surveys. Studies comparing self-reported computer skills with objective assessments have found evidence of significant overreporting of skills, but were conducted only among non-representative groups of individuals. This paper fills an important gap by analysing the degree to which ICT skills are overreported in the working-age population of Poland, and the potential causes of this behaviour. We compare answers to Eurostat questions on ICT usage with direct assessments of the corresponding tasks. The results suggest that those individuals who are most likely to possess ICT skills are also most likely to overreport having these skills. The propensity to overreport decreases with age and increases with years of education and numeracy level; women are less likely than men to overestimate their skills. The positive relationship between the probability of a group to overreport their own skills and their expected levels of skills suggests that social desirability bias may explain this phenomenon.

Highlights

Skills are an important aspect of human capital, which is, in turn, one of the main factors necessary for economic and social development
This finding indicates that the observed discrepancies could be driven by the social desirability bias: individuals who belong to groups with higher skills probably feel that they are expected to have higher skills, which could make them more likely to overreport their skills
Our results showed that individuals who belonged to groups with higher information and communications technology (ICT) skills were the most likely to overreport having these skills

Summary

Introduction

Skills are an important aspect of human capital, which is, in turn, one of the main factors necessary for economic and social development. In addition to economic growth discussions, human capital and skills measures are often embedded in discussions on the economics of education, ageing, employability, crime, well-being, and health (e.g., Stroombergen et al 2002). Skills may be analysed from different perspectives: namely, supply and demand, skills mismatch, and skills development (European Commission and Statistical Office of the European Union 2016). Rynko returns to both cognitive and non-cognitive skills with respect to labour market outcomes and social behaviour (e.g., Heckman et al 2006)

Methods

Results

Conclusion