Trap questions in online surveys: Results from three web survey experiments

This study examines the use of trap questions as indicators of data quality in online surveys. Trap questions are intended to identify respondents who are not paying close attention to survey questions, which would mean that they are providing sub-optimal responses to not only the trap question itself but to other questions included in the survey.

Introduction and literature review

Every survey data collection method has its pros and cons. Several studies have compared web surveys with other modes of data collection (e.g., see Kreuter, Presser, & Tourangeau, 2008; Liu & Wang, 2015, 2016), and they generally conclude that while web surveys can elicit more honest and less socially desirable responses, the level of a web respondent's engagement is lower than in interviewer-administered surveys. Satisficing theory was often cited to explain this phenomenon (Krosnick, 1991). When responding to survey questions, rather than going through a deep mental process and coming up with an optimal answer, some...

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