Conflicting Group Norms and the "Third" Person in the Interview

The structure of the interviewing situation when employed as a variable in the analysis of survey data reveals lack of consensus with respect to norms of attitudes toward the extended family in a particular social system. There is a significant difference in the proportions of aged respondents favoring the extended family in the three types of interviewing situations in which a "third" person was present: spouse present only; spouse and children present; children present only. Inasmuch as a certain proportion of research interviews is conducted when a "third" person is present, the implications of this finding for social research are apparent.