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"If You Can'T Say Something Nice"

A Variation on the Social Desirability Response Set

Ohio University

Crystal J. Gips

Ohio University

Charles E. Rich

Ohio University

Analysis of several data sets suggests that when "don't know" is used as an option in an evaluation of others, the number of omitted items may correlate negatively with the summated evaluation. When present, this variation of social desirability or nonrandom tendency toward item nonresponse has the potential to bias results. Measures are suggested to both detect and control for this tendency.

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