Desirability Response Bias Research Articles

The importance and efficacy of controlling for social desirability response bias

ABSTRACT The extant literature acknowledges social desirability response bias (SDRB) is a pervasive issue for research that uses survey data and proposes several approaches to mitigating the issue, including: self-administered questionnaires, indirect questioning, and direct measurement. The objective of this study is to provide empirical evidence related to the importance of controlling for SDRB and the efficacy of these approaches. Using a primary sample of 365 business majors, we find the most common methodologies used to control for SDRB, self-administered questionnaires and indirect questions, are insufficient. A direct measure of SDRB remains significant when these approaches are used, and the exclusion of this measure affects the significance of other variables. Less than 5% of accounting-and-ethics research using survey data includes a direct control for SDRB. Our study provides empirical evidence on a methodological issue addressed in few existing studies.

The effects of survey mode on self-reported psychological functioning: Measurement invariance and latent mean comparison across face-to-face and web modes.

Despite the increasing popularity of mixed-mode approaches to data collection, studies examining measurement equivalence across different survey modes in representative samples of the general population, particularly focusing on measures of socially sensitive psychological constructs, are sparse. In this study, we used data from a large representative sample of the Slovenian population (N = 9,900) collected as part of the third wave of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) to examine mode-inherent effects (i.e., measurement effects that cannot be neutralized by clever survey design) of the traditional interviewer-mediated face-to-face mode and the increasingly popular self-administered web mode on three measures of psychological functioning, namely the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-8), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC-SF). After controlling for self-selection propensities, our results showed strict measurement invariance for all three scales across the two survey modes, but statistically significant and notable differences in latent means, suggesting that individuals who respond face-to-face systematically report better psychological functioning than individuals who respond over the web. These results suggest significant mode inherent effects that cannot be attributed to measurement non-invariance of the scales between face-to-face and web survey modes, but most likely to social desirability bias in responses achieved in the presence of an interviewer. Administration mode effects must be considered when interpreting and comparing results obtained through different survey modes, particularly interviewer-mediated versus self-administered modes, especially when using measures of culturally desirable traits and behaviors, such as mental health and well-being.

Attitudes toward osteopathic medicine scale: development and psychometrics.

To develop a valid and reliable instrument for measuring attitudes toward osteopathic medicine. Participants included 5,669 first-year students from 33 U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine, who completed an online survey at the beginning of the 2019-2020 academic year. Using data from the nationwide Project in Osteopathic Medical Education and Empathy, we developed a 13-item instrument: Attitudes Toward Osteopathic Medicine Scale (ATOMS) and demonstrated the validity and reliability of its scores. The social desirability response bias was controlled in statistical analyses. The corrected item-total score correlations were all positive and statistically significant, and the effect sizes of item discrimination indices were large. Cronbach's coefficient alpha reliability was 0.83. Construct validity, corroborating face and content validity of the ATOMS, was supported by three components, emerged from factor analysis: "Perspectives on Osteopathic Medicine," "Osteopathic Diagnosis and Treatment," and "Holistic-Integrative Care." Correlations between ATOMS scores and scores of cognitive empathy, emotional empathy; orientation toward interprofessional collaboration; lifelong learning; and burnout were statistically significant in the expected direction, providing validity evidence for the ATOMS. Using the method of contrasted groups, significant differences in the ATOMS scores were found by gender, ethnicity, academic background, and career interest in the expected direction, supporting the validity of the ATOMS scores. National norms were developed to assess individual scores alongside national percentile ranks. The ATOMS, developed in a nationwide study, supported by strong psychometric evidence for measuring orientation toward osteopathic medicine, has implications for the assessment of osteopathic medical education, patient outcomes, and admission decisions.

Do Early Life Experiences Predict Variation in the General Factor of Personality (GFP)?

ObjectiveThe controversial General Factor of Personality (GFP) has been proposed as an indicator of social effectiveness and a slower life history strategy. An alternative hypothesis holds that only meta-trait alpha, comprising agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability, is a slow life history indicator. This study tested whether the GFP and/or alpha emerges from both self- and stranger-ratings, and whether either is predicted by indicators of harsh childhood ecologies.MethodsU.S. undergraduate participants (N = 366) completed a Big Five instrument, a measure of socially desirable response bias, and brief (thin slice) videotaped interviews. Raters scored the interviews using the same Big Five instrument.ResultsStructural equation modeling of the self-report data yielded a well-fitting GFP, which was positively associated with father closeness. Meta-trait alpha, based on self-report, was associated with both father closeness and neighborhood stress, but showed positive loadings only for agreeableness and emotional stability. Stranger-rating data failed to yield either a well-fitting GFP or metatrait alpha.ConclusionsOur findings are equivocal regarding the usefulness of the GFP specifically, and higher-order personality factors generally, in evolutionary personality science.

How Social Desirability Response Bias May Lead to an Overestimation of Obama-Trump Voters

Abstract In this research note, we argue that a segment of Trump voters may be motivated to demonstrate that they are not racially insensitive by saying they voted for Obama in 2012. As a result, what may appear as a substantial group of swing voters may be—in part—partisan voters who want to avoid perceptions of racial bias. Using data from a survey of a nationally representative nonprobability sample from YouGov, polling data from the 2016 election, and a survey experiment conducted with a convenience sample of American adults, we find that Obama-Trump voters score significantly higher on a social monitoring scale than others and that respondents are significantly more supportive of Trump when they are given the opportunity to mention who they voted for in 2012. The combination of results suggests that the number of Obama-Trump voters may be overestimated due to self-monitoring.

The impact of Covid-19 on unemployment across Italy: Consequences for those affected by psychiatric conditions

BackgroundSevere psychological and psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are expected, especially for people already vulnerable to biological or psychosocial stressors, including those with mental health problems. The study aimed to investigate factors associated with the loss of jobs and unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, we investigated whether mental illness was associated with a higher risk of losing one's job because of the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsNineteen thousand four hundred ninety-six adults living in Italy were administered an online protocol including a sociodemographic checklist and questionnaires investigating suicide ideation and risk, mental health status and general distress (stress, anxiety, and depression), resilience, and perceived support. ResultsOne thousand two hundred seventy-four reported having lost their job because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 5.4% of the sample reported a mental illness (mostly a depressive disorder). Unemployment was independently associated with mental illness, poor mental health, and depression. Mental illness was associated with the risk of losing one's job because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but not at the multivariate analyses. Those who lost their job because of the COVID-19 pandemic (compared to others) reported worse mental health and depression. LimitationsThe presence of mental illness was self-reported by respondents and the administered measures were self-reported questionnaires affected by social desirability and other response bias. ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation measures and lockdown used to contain its spread among the Italian population were associated with occupational insecurity, especially among the more vulnerable social categories.

Perceived Vulnerability As a Determinant of Increased Risk for Cybersecurity Risk Behavior.

There is interest in better understanding people's cybersecurity (CS)-related attitudes and behaviors, which are ultimately impacted by their perceived vulnerability to CS risks. There is a relationship between how risk is perceived and how someone acts, with protection motivation theory (PMT) providing a particularly salient framework for explaining this connection. Exploration of how one perceives his or her own vulnerability to CS victimization is essential to understanding this interaction, and risk mitigation of threats relies heavily on the human despite increased reliance on digital technologies such as machine learning that can be used proactively and in real time yet are still impacted by human behavior. This study sought to examine the information security attitudes and behaviors that contribute to perceived CS vulnerability. A convenience sample of 612 college students sampled from two public universities in the United States completed a brief demographic survey and the Online Security Behavior and Beliefs Questionnaire. The instrument demonstrated good internal reliability with an index of perceived vulnerability significantly and positively correlating with multiple subscales. Linear regression indicated subscales that tended to focus more on one's inner belief that he or she is capable and competent enough to understand the nature of CS risks was predictive of perceived vulnerability, potentially resulting from a social desirability response bias which yielded an overly favorable self-report. PMT suggests that knowledge is an essential factor influencing decision making and results of this study suggest that perceived vulnerability may depend upon the appraisal of experience more so than one's actual knowledge or competence.

Concerns of women regarding pregnancy and childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectiveBetter understand knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant women and mothers of infants around coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). MethodsA 58-item electronic survey was distributed to pregnant and postpartum women (infants <12 months) who were >15 years, English-speaking and enrolled in prenatal programs. Data is summarized using central tendency, frequencies and nonparametric statistics. ResultsOf 114 (51 % response rate) participants, 82.5 % reported negative changes in mental status measures (e.g. stress, anxious thoughts, changes in sleep patterns). All reported risk-reduction behavior changes (e.g. handwashing/use of sanitizer, social distancing). Significant changes were reported in employment and financial status due to the pandemic. Increases in alcohol consumption among postpartum women were also reported. Few reported changes in prenatal, infant or postpartum healthcare access. ConclusionThis study provides initial insight into the knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is limited as participants represent a single Midwest community and social desirability response bias may have impacted responses. However, results may inform future interventions to support pregnant women and mothers of infants during pandemics. Practice implicationsProviders should consider the impact of such events on mental status, access to resources and changes in behaviors.

Linking ethical leadership and ethical climate to employees' ethical behavior: the moderating role of person–organization fit

Linking ethical leadership and ethical climate to employees' ethical behavior: the moderating role of person–organization fit

Contextual Prejudice: How Occupational Context and Stereotypes Shape Bias against Gay and Lesbian Employees

While much research provides evidence that gay men and lesbians are discriminated against in the U.S. labor force, the contexts in which such bias is enhanced or reduced, or the mechanisms behind it, are harder to pinpoint. This article puts forth that occupational context—and specifically, the stereotypes about gay men and lesbians evoked by certain occupational contexts—plays an important role in shaping bias against gay men and lesbians in the labor force. I argue that people are implicitly guided by cultural stereotypes about gay men and lesbians, which affects perceptions about whether they are suitable for specific occupations. This leads to penalties for being openly gay or lesbian in some occupational scenarios, but may lead to less or no penalties in others. This theory is tested empirically using a list experiment, a methodological technique designed to reduce or eliminate social desirability bias in responses. Results suggest that bias against gay men and lesbians is not standard across all occupations or subgroups of gay employees, but rather, is shaped by important contextual factors that can activate certain stereotypes about gay and lesbian individuals.

Advances in Estimation of Sensitive Issues on Successive Occasions

Surveys related to sensitive issues are accompanied with social desirability response bias which flaw the validity of analysis. This problem became serious when sensitive issues are estimated on successive occasions. The scrambled response technique is an alternative solution as it preserve respondents anonymity. Therefore, the present article endeavours to propose an improved class of estimators for estimating sensitive population mean at current occasion using an innocuous variable in two occasion successive sampling. Detailed properties of the estimators are analysed. Optimum allocation to fresh and matched samples are obtained. Many existing estimators in successive sampling have been modified to work for sensitive population mean estimation under scrambled response technique. The proposed estimators has been compared with recent modified estimators. Theoretical considerations are integrated with empirical and simulation studies to ascertain the efficiency gain derived from the proposed improved class of estimators.

Support for recognition and payment options for egg and sperm donation in New Zealand and Australia.

To what extent do infertility clinic patients, fertility industry professionals and members of the public support different forms of payment and recognition for egg and sperm donation? While participants expressed support for reimbursement of expenses for both egg and sperm donation, payment constituting explicit financial advantage was regarded less favourably although potentially necessary to address donor gamete shortages. In both New Zealand and Australia, commercial inducement for the supply of gametes is prohibited. This prohibition has been argued to contribute to limited availability of donor gametes with the effect of increasing waiting lists and/or the pursuit of potentially unregulated cross-border reproductive care by domestic patients requiring donor gametes. The study was a mixed methods study drawing on data from a questionnaire completed by 434 participants from across New Zealand and Australia between November 2018 and March 2019. Stakeholders involved in donor-assisted conception (past and present infertility patients, gamete recipients and donors), fertility industry professionals and members of the public were recruited following online advertisement of the study. All participants spoke English and primarily identified as Caucasian. Participants anonymously completed an online questionnaire gauging their support for a range of recognition and payment options. Dependent samples t-tests were used to probe for differences in support of recognition and payment options in relation to egg and sperm donation. Linear regression models were used to determine factors predicting support for the different options for both egg and sperm donation. Thematic analysis was used to identify main themes in free text question responses. Broadly, there was agreement that donors be reimbursed for medical expenses, travel time, unpaid time away from work relating to treatments and out-of-pocket expenses directly related to the gamete donation process, with greater support suggested for egg versus sperm donors. Items gauging support for non-material recognition and tokens of thanks for donations were not significantly different between egg and sperm donation programmes (P > 0.05) nor rated as highly as reimbursement alternatives. Lowest ratings of support were indicated for the outright payment or reward of donors for the supply of their gametes, options that would leave donors in better financial positions. Qualitatively, themes valuing gamete donation as ideally relating to gifting were identified, although counterbalanced in opinion by concepts of fairness in reimbursing gamete donors for their costs. Where payment over and above the reimbursement of costs was supported, this was related to pragmatic considerations of limited supply of donor gametes. This study used a cross-sectional design and consequently causal inferences cannot be made. Additionally, participants particularly professional fertility staff, were required to self-report on politically sensitive and legal issues with the potential for social desirability response bias. Snowball sampling may have led to participation of like-minded individuals, thus limiting generalizations of findings. In a climate of global commercialization of reproductive medicine, limited donor gamete availability and rising incidences of cross-border reproductive care, the findings of this study can be used as a basis for further discussion between regulators and professional industry stakeholders with respect to shaping ethical policy and practice relating to donor conception. No external funds were sought for this work. None of the authors have any competing interests to declare. N/A.

Non-Cognitive Assessment in Higher Education

Non-cognitive assessment is used to identify at-risk college students and leverage limited resources to promote academic performance and persistence. Instruments that measure these psychosocial attitudes and skills require self-reported responses and, thus, may be subject to distortion. This study examined the social desirability response bias in a specific non-cognitive assessment tool, the Student Strengths Inventory (SSI), including gender and ethnic differences. Results show that college students did not respond to the SSI in a socially desirable way. Additionally, the SSI subscales contributed to significant variance in the prediction of academic performance and persistence. This study empirically supports the use of non-cognitive assessment in higher education and suggests interventions for using non-cognitive assessment data at the individual, group, and aggregate level.

“Let Me Show You How Nice I Am”: Impression Management as Bias in Empathic Responses

Past research showed that empathic responses are confounded with social desirability. The present research aims at illuminating this confound. In a first step, it is examined how a measure typically implemented to screen, for response, biases based on social desirability (i.e., the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding) relate to classical measures of interindividual differences in empathic responses (i.e., the Interpersonal Reactivity Index). Moreover, it is investigated what happens to empathic responses under conditions of reduced opportunity to behave socially desirable. Results of two correlational studies indicate that impression management (IM) as well as self-deceptive enhancement as facets of a socially desirable response bias is related to self-reported empathic responses. Results of an additional experiment show that introducing conditions reducing opportunity for IM lowers empathic responses toward a person in need. Implications for research on self-reported empathy and empathy-induced prosocial behavior are discussed.

Moderating role of employee engagement on conflict–politics relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between relationship conflict and the perception of organization politics (POP) and the moderating role of employee engagement. The study hypothesizes that the conflict results in the presence of POP only for those employees who are relatively less engaged with the organization. The paper further explores the mediating role of perceived politics between the relationship conflict and job-related outcome variables including openness to diversity, turnover intent and perception of justice. In sum, the authors contend that employee engagement will act as a moderator between relationship conflict and POP, and POP further will act as a mediator between relationship conflict and its job-related outcomes.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive study was carried on to conduct this research. Data were collected at two different points of time from the employees of two public sector undertakings (n=206). About 80 questionnaires were not returned by the respondents, reducing the sample size to be 126. Of these, 115 were usable, resulting in a 55.83 percent response rate. SEM was employed to test the hypotheses with the help of Smart PLS 3.0. A two-step process was followed to test the hypothesized model. Testing the significance of proposed relationships in the structural model was followed by the evaluation of the measurement model.FindingsThe results of the study highlighted a positive association between the relationship conflict and POP. A moderating effect of employee engagement on relationship conflict and perceived organizational politics (POP) was observed. Further, POP was found to have a positive relationship with the intention to leave and a negative relationship with openness to diversity and perception of justice was observed. POP mediated the relationship between relationship conflict with the intention to leave and the perception of justice.Research limitations/implicationsThe very first limitation of the present study is its cross-sectional design. Since the data were gathered from the same respondents, the causal relationships between variables are subject to biases (Bobko and Stone-Romero, 1998). Further, the data were gathered with the help of self-report questionnaires, and the findings of this study might have been influenced by the social desirability response bias (Podsakoff et al., 2003). Hence, future work should focus on using a combination of sources for data collection. This study also proposes a possible role of emotional intelligence in employee engagement and their POP, which can be tested in future studies.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that relationship conflict leads to POP, which eventually results in adverse job-related outcomes. In order to control the negative effects of politics perception, organizations should undertake conflict prevention and conflict management techniques. To further reduce the level of POP, organizations shall take steps to better engage their employees because even when the level of relationship conflict is high, people perceive less politics if they are highly engaged with the organization.Originality/valueThe study is an original work carried out to understand the relationship between relationship conflict and the POP, and the moderating role of employee engagement.

Using a Polygraph System for Evaluation of the Social Desirability Response Bias in Self-Report Measures of Aggression.

Empirical evidence suggests that respondents systematically overreport socially desirable behaviors and systematically underreport socially undesirable behaviors. This "social desirability response bias (SDRB)" presents significant challenges for research that relies on self-report measures to assess behaviors that adhere to or violate social norms. The present study used a state-of-the-art polygraph system to examine SDRB in widely used aggression questionnaires, including the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire-Short Form, the Indirect Aggression subscale of the Aggression Questionnaire by Western Psychological Services, and the Reactive-Proactive Questionnaire. Sixteen college students with no criminal record, no known prior history of aggressive behavior, and no reported drug abuse, responded to verbally administered forms of the instruments. Indirect aggression items produced the largest, statistically significant physiological response across the sampled channels. The magnitude of this response was negatively and significantly correlated with the self-report ratings of the frequency of such behaviors. The mean separation between physiological (skin conductance) and self-report responses for indirect aggression remained significant and consistent with correlational analyses when both types of responses were converted to the same scale and compared directly. Finally, the relative magnitude of skin conductance response for items assessing indirect aggression was significantly greater than the relative magnitude of skin conductance response for direct aggression. Overall, the study suggests that the use of automated state-of-the art polygraph systems may potentially identify sensitive items on self-report instruments where social responsibility response bias is possible. Implications for the use of this procedure with such instruments are discussed.

Clinicians' Perspectives on Providing Emergency-Only Hemodialysis to Undocumented Immigrants

In the United States, nearly half of undocumented immigrants with end-stage kidney disease receive hemodialysis only when they are evaluated in an emergency department and are found to have life-threatening renal failure ("emergency-only hemodialysis" [EOHD]). These patients experience psychosocial distress and much higher mortality than patients receiving regularly scheduled hemodialysis, but little is known about how providing EOHD affects the clinicians involved. To understand clinicians' experiences providing EOHD. Qualitative study using semistructured interviews. A safety-net hospital in Denver, Colorado, and a safety-net system in Houston, Texas. Fifty interdisciplinary clinicians experienced in providing EOHD. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Outcomes included themes and subthemes. Four themes and 13 subthemes (in parentheses) were identified: 1) drivers of professional burnout (emotional exhaustion from witnessing needless suffering and high mortality, jeopardizing patient trust, detaching from patients, perceived lack of control over EOHD criteria, and physical exhaustion from overextending to bridge care), 2) moral distress from propagating injustice (altered care based on nonmedical factors, focus on volume at the expense of quality, and need to game the system), 3) confusing and perverse financial incentives (wasting resources, confusing financial incentives, and concerns about sustainability), and 4) inspiration toward advocacy (deriving inspiration from patients and strengthened altruism). Whether the findings apply to other settings is unknown, and social desirability response bias might have reduced reporting of negative perceptions and experiences. Clinicians in safety-net settings who provide EOHD to undocumented patients describe experiencing moral distress and being driven toward professional burnout. The burden of EOHD on clinicians should inform discussions of systemic approaches to support provision of adequate care based on medical need. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Religion and moral self-image: The contributions of prosocial behavior, socially desirable responding, and personality

Often, the high moral self-image held by religious people is viewed with skepticism. Three studies examined the contributions of socially desirable responding (SDR), personality traits, prosocial behavior, and individual differences in prosocial tendencies to the association between religiosity and moral self-image. In Studies 1 and 2 (N's = 346, 507), personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness) and individual differences in empathy/prosociality were the strongest explanatory variables for religiosity's association with moral self-image measures; SDR and prosocial behavior contributed more weakly to this association. In Study 3 (N = 180), the effect of a bogus pipeline manipulation on moral self-image was moderated by religiosity. Among the highly religious, moral self-image remained high even in the bogus pipeline condition. These studies show that the association between religiosity and moral self-image is most strongly explained by personality traits and individual differences in prosociality/empathy, rather than a desirability response bias.

T214. STIGMA ABOUT SCHIZOPHRENIA: THE EFFECTS OF DIAGNOSTIC LABELS, SYMPTOMS, AND ILLNESS PHASE

BackgroundSchizophrenia is possibly the most stigmatised of all mental disorders. It has been argued that the label of schizophrenia itself has become stigmatically charged through over a century of association with misleading and sensationalist representations in news media and pop-culture. There has, therefore, been considerable recent debate on the topic of changing the label of schizophrenia. Label change advocates argue that public stigma about schizophrenia would be reduced should the label be replaced with either an eponymous or descriptive alternative. However, few empirical studies to date have directly investigated this possibility. Moreover, no known single study has investigated the effects of descriptive and eponymous relabelling of schizophrenia on public stigma as a function of symptomatology and illness phase. The current study aimed to fill this gap in the literature.MethodsAustralian university students (m = 181, f = 176, other/unspecified = 4, Mage = 19.58 years, age range 17–60 years) participated in the study by reading a brief vignette depicting a protagonist with schizophrenia, and by subsequently completing a number of stigma measures. Participants were randomly allocated to vignette conditions that varied systematically by disorder label (schizophrenia vs eponymous label vs descriptive label), symptoms (positive vs negative symptoms), and illness phase (active vs remittent symptoms). Stigmatised thoughts, attitudes, and behaviour were measured using the Social Distance Scale (SDS; Link et al., 1987) and selected items forming six factors (Fear/Dangerousness, Help/Interaction, Responsibility, Forced Treatment, Pity, and Anger; Brown, 2008) from the Attributional Questionnaire (AQ; Corrigan et al., 2004). Socially desirable response bias and familiarity with mental illness were controlled using the Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (Crowne & Marlow, 1960), and Level-of-Contact Report (Holmes, Corrigan, Williams, Canar & Kubiak (1999).ResultsData was analysed with a series of ANCOVA and ANOVA analyses. No group differences in either SDS or AQ scores were observed as a function of disorder label. Positive symptoms were observed to elicit significantly greater levels of fear/dangerousness responses and endorsement of forced treatment when compared to negative symptoms. However, negative symptoms elicited significantly greater anger responses. While only these isolated differences on stigma measures were observed for symptom profile contrasts, vignettes depicting an active illness phase elicited significantly greater levels of stigma on the SDS and most AQ factors when compared with vignette conditions depicting a symptomatically remittent protagonist. Lastly, no statistically significant interactions were observed between labels, symptomatology and illness phase.DiscussionThe results suggest that diagnostic label change may not be an effective strategy to reduce public stigma about schizophrenia in western countries. It is important to note, however, that public stigma elicitation is just one of the numerous considerations as regards the utility of label change, and that others, such as consumer perspectives, hold value independent of the current findings. The current findings also highlight that the symptomatology and illness phase of schizophrenia are likely to be implicated in eliciting public stigma about the disorder, and are worthy of further attention. While the current study investigated these phenomena at the broad symptom profile level, future research should investigate individual symptoms and their subtypes discretely, in order to inform a comprehensive, symptom-focussed model of elicited public stigma pertaining to schizophrenia.

Job preferences of agricultural students in Germany – A choice-based conjoint analysis for both genders

Knowledge of the job preferences of agricultural students is essential for the competitiveness of the industry. Yet no study is available in Germany. Other studies mostly used direct questions for the preference measurement, which raises possible concerns about a socially desirable response bias. For this reason, the present study combines a quasi-experiment (choice-based conjoint analysis) and direct questions (Likert scales) to measure the job preferences of 568 agricultural students in Germany and compares the results. In addition to finding gender differences, the study found that ‘income’ and ‘future perspective’ are the most important job characteristics for the job choice of agricultural students, and that they also prefer an increasing ‘work-life-balance’ as well as a ‘rural location’ for their future employer. Insights about job characteristics’ attractiveness lead to a more transparent environment in which employers and (potential) employees make better-informed decisions, resulting in increased job satisfaction, performance and career sustainability.