Market research survey abuse happens when a survey participant intentionally distorts their responses to the questions in an attempt to look more impressive, smarter or successful. It can be hard to identify and mitigate this bias, which can have a significant effect on survey results.

Market research survey abuse if a participant is being paid to complete your survey, they may be more likely to speed through it and give inaccurate answers. To reduce this problem, ask validation questions that compare the responses of all respondents and flag those who are “professionals” or who are answering quickly and untruthfully.

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Another possible issue is that a survey about abuse can cause trauma or distress to participants, especially if they are currently experiencing the type of abuse being asked about. If this is the case, they should be given the option to withdraw from the survey at any point.

If you are conducting a survey with a sensitive topic like abuse, be sure to send it out when participants will be in a positive mood. For instance, sending it immediately after a purchase or subscription can help ensure that respondents are thinking about the rationale behind their decision to subscribe and not just fatigued from filling out a lengthy questionnaire. Also, try to keep your surveys short as respondents will engage in guessing or selecting arbitrary options when they are bored or tired. Lastly, it is important to randomly order your questions and response options when possible to avoid the same initial questions consistently influencing responses on later questions.