Respondent Inaccuracy
Arch G. WoodsideandElizabeth J. WilsonBoston College
Much of the knowledge base in marketing (and in the social sciences in general) is built on findings from self-report surveys, a research practice of questionable value according to March and Sutton (1997). While studies shedding light on the causes and amounts of inaccuracy of self-reports are available (for example, see Cannell, 1985; Clark and Schober, 1992; Feldman and Lynch, 1988; Pearson, Ross, and Dawes, 1992; Sudman and Ferber, 1970; Sudman and Bradburn, 1973; Sudman, Finn, and Lannom, 1984; Schwarz, 1999), Jacoby (1999) bemoans both the widespread ignorance...