Self-report Response Bias: Learning How to Live with its Diagnosis in Chaplaincy Research

Chaplaincy research is dominated by self-report data collected directly from research subjects or participants. Self-report response bias is the research measurement inaccuracy that originates with the respondent. A review of research published in The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling (1998–2008) found that all but one of thirty-eight research articles used self-report data. Of this total, less than half acknowledged methodological limitations, and only two acknowledged the potential impact of self-report response bias.This article focuses on seven categories of self-report response bias that may impact chaplaincy research: social desirability, acquiescence, leniency or harshness, critical event or recency, halo effect, extreme response style and midpoint response style. Although these biases have the potential to impact self-report data, the data themselves are not inherently flawed. This discussion offers recommendations for addressing self-report response bias during the research process. It also suggests that acknowledging and understanding the impact of self-report response bias may result in more rigorous research as well as more creative and informed interpretation of results.