Response-Order Effects in Survey Methods: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Study in the Context of Sport Injury Prevention

J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2015 Dec;37(6):666-73. doi: 10.1123/jsep.2015-0045.

Abstract

Consistency tendency is characterized by the propensity for participants responding to subsequent items in a survey consistent with their responses to previous items. This method effect might contaminate the results of sport psychology surveys using cross-sectional design. We present a randomized controlled crossover study examining the effect of consistency tendency on the motivational pathway (i.e., autonomy support → autonomous motivation → intention) of self-determination theory in the context of sport injury prevention. Athletes from Sweden (N = 341) responded to the survey printed in either low interitem distance (IID; consistency tendency likely) or high IID (consistency tendency suppressed) on two separate occasions, with a one-week interim period. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups, and they received the survey of different IID at each occasion. Bayesian structural equation modeling showed that low IID condition had stronger parameter estimates than high IID condition, but the differences were not statistically significant.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Athletic Injuries / epidemiology
  • Athletic Injuries / prevention & control*
  • Athletic Injuries / psychology
  • Cross-Over Studies
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intention
  • Male
  • Motivation
  • Personal Autonomy
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / methods
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires* / standards
  • Time Factors
  • Young Adult