Validating the use of anchoring vignettes for the correction of response scale differences in subjective questions

Citation

Van Soest A, Delaney L, Harmon C, Kapteyn A & Smith JP (2011) Validating the use of anchoring vignettes for the correction of response scale differences in subjective questions. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society – Series A, 174 (3), pp. 575-595. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-985X.2011.00694.x/abstract; https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-985X.2011.00694.x

Abstract
Comparing self-assessed indicators of subjective outcomes (such as health, or job satisfaction) across countries or socio-economic groups is often hampered by the fact that different groups use different response scales. Anchoring vignettes are used as a tool to identify and correct for such differences.The paper develops a model in which objective measurements are used to validate such vignette-based corrections. The model is illustrated with an application to objective and subjective self-assessments of drinking behaviour by students in the Republic of Ireland. Model comparisons using the Akaike information criterion favour a specification with response consistency and vignette-corrected response scales. Put differently, vignette-based corrections appear quite effective in bringing objective and subjective measures closer together.

Keywords
Anchoring vignettes; Health behaviour; Reporting bias

Journal
Journal of the Royal Statistical Society – Series A: Volume 174, Issue 3