Questionnaires are an important source of data in marketing research. Unfortunately, survey data is often confounded by response styles such as acquiescence response style, disacquiescence response style, extreme response style and midpoint response style. Researchers can use different rating scale formats, which basically differ on two major dimensions, namely Polarity (unipolar versus bipolar) and Anchoring (only positive numbers or negative and positive numbers). To investigate which scale format performs best in terms of minimizing different response styles, we set up an experiment in which we manipulate Polarity and Anchoring. An online survey (N=337) shows strong effects of Polarity and Anchoring on response distributions and provides evidence for the superiority of the unipolar scale format with positive anchors.

• Cabooter Elke(IESEG school of management)
• Geuens Maggie(Ghent University)
• Weijters Bert(Ghent University)
• Vermeir Iris(Ghent University)