Detecting Satisficing In Online Surveys

The spread of computers and high speed internet have online activities an integral part of peoples' lives as they connect with friends, shop, and exchange data. The ability of the internet to handle sophisticated data exchanges is endearing it to researchers who gather all kinds of data. Internet use has the advantages of speed; cost effectiveness; and error free data entry among others. Despite these, internet data collection is still being explored by researchers to understand its potential; the behavior of its patrons; the quality of its data; and ways to motivate respondents complete surveys. To better understand the potential of the internet, this dissertation investigated the online behavior of undergraduate students of a Midwestern University for traces of satisficing. The dissertation deployed a number of interventions to motivate participants to provide attentive responses. The interventions used hyperlinks and clarifying instructions on survey expectations to lessen the burden of comprehension among respondents. This study helps future researchers using the internet for data collection to understand respondents' attitude and how best to manage them for best results.