Gender Differences in Self Reports on Sensitive Behaviors

使用调查数据的模型通常假设受访者 准确地报告他们的行为。 事实上，这些模型 由于调查数据的偏差和不精确， 收集过程。 自我报告的误差来源是 许多，反映了一个组合的特点， 个别受访者和调查工具的性质， 它的管理方式。 本研究主要关注自我报告的性别差异 包括性行为在内的几个主题， 重点是非法使用毒品和堕胎。它将被携带 与调查人员的国家研究中心合作， 题为“健康认知研究”的卫生统计项目 促进和预防疾病”。 许多调查，无论是在美国还是在其他国家， 研究表明，男性报告的性伴侣比女性多， 做 即使同性恋伴侣是同性恋， 不包括在内，并在对极端值进行调整时， 无响应、人口规模和相关事项。 的 随着时间的推移，差异变得越来越大， 问题越来越长。 最合理的解释是 不同之处在于，两种性别在方向和/或 他们的反应错误的大小--要么这些人是 多报，妇女少报，或两者兼而有之。 将开展一系列相关研究， 性伴侣报告中的性别差异 关于其他性行为、吸毒和堕胎的报道。 它们包括1）认知访谈， 对性术语的理解和讨论性的意愿 问题，2）一个虚假的管道实验，以测试是否假设 自我报告的验证将改变男性的报告， 3）一项调查实验，以测试反应的差异 格式，回忆线索，和采访人员，4）第二次调查 试验以检验给药方式、地点 访谈、问卷背景和问题措辞，以及 5)第三个调查实验是测试匿名性和保密性。 这些研究应确定导致 对性伴侣敏感行为的误报， 堕胎和吸毒;有助于设计一个最佳的 衡量战略;并提供更好的估计， 这些敏感行为的发生率。 至关重要 这类工作应该进行，特别是考虑到问题 艾滋病流行病及其潜在的严重程度 应用.

Models using survey data typically assume that respondents report their behavior accurately. In fact, however, these models may be flawed due to bias and imprecision in the survey data collection process. The sources of error of self-reports are numerous, reflecting a combination of the characteristrics of individual respondents and the nature of the survey instrument and the way it is administered. This research focuses on gender differences in self-reporting on several topics, including sexual behavior, where primary emphasis is put, illicit drug use and abortion. It will be carried out in conjunction with the investigators' National Center for Health Statistics project entitled, "Cognitive Research on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention". Numerous surveys, both in the United States and in other countries, have shown that men report more sex partners than women do. This difference persists even when homosexual partners are excluded and when adjustments are made for extreme values, item non-response, population size, and related matters. The differences become larger as the time frame covered by the questions grow longer. The most plausible explanation for the difference is that the two genders differ in the direction and/or magnitude of their response errors -- either the men are overreporting, the women underreporting, or both. A series of related studies will be carried out to examine these gender differences in the reports of sexual partners as well as reports on other sexual behaviors, drug use, and abortions. They consist of 1) cognitive interviews exploring the understanding of sexual terms and willingness to discuss sexual matters, 2) a bogus pipeline experiment to test whether assumed validation of self-reports will change the reports of men and women, 3) a survey experiment to test differences in response format, recall cues, and interviewing staff, 4) a second survey experiment to test differences in mode of administration, place of interview, questionaire context, and question wording, and 5) a third survey experiment to test anonymity vs. confidentiality. These studies should identify the factors that lead to misreports of sensitive behaviors about sexual partners, abortions, and drug use; contribute to the design of an optimal measurement strategy; and provide improved estimates of the true incidence levels of these sensitive behaviors. It is crucial that work of this sort be conducted, particularly in view of questions raised by the AIDS epidemic and the potential extent of its applications.