Short Answer

A clinical psychologist measures patients' anxiety levels using a survey. In one group, patients fill out the survey privately on a tablet. In another group, patients read their answers aloud to the psychologist. Applying the cognitive model of survey responding, which specific stage of the model is most likely to produce differences in the scores between these two groups, and why?

Question: A clinical psychologist measures patients' anxiety levels using a survey. In one group, patients fill out the survey privately on a tablet. In another group, patients read their answers aloud to the psychologist. Applying the cognitive model of survey responding, which specific stage of the model is most likely to produce differences in the scores between these two groups, and why?

Sample answer: The response editing stage is most likely to produce differences. Reading answers aloud to the psychologist increases social pressure, prompting patients to edit their responses to be more socially desirable or acceptable, whereas the private tablet group has less pressure to edit their answers.

Key points:

  • Identify response editing as the stage responsible for the difference.
  • Explain that face-to-face/auditory responding increases pressure to conform to social expectations.
  • Explain that this pressure leads to adjustments of answers before submission compared to the private condition.

Rubric: The response must identify the response editing stage and explain that reading answers aloud increases social desirability pressure, leading to more adjustments in response compared to private survey completion.

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Updated 2026-05-26

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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