What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to determine if fertility preference measures reflect distinct constructs in respondents or are influenced by survey design choices.

August 10, 2026Population and Development Review

Do Survey Respondents Distinguish between Ideal, Desired, and Expected Fertility? An Empirical Test of Survey Design Effects

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The research aims to determine if fertility preference measures reflect distinct constructs in respondents or are influenced by survey design choices.
Conducted two survey experiments with different sequences of fertility preference measures.
First experiment involved college students assessing ideal, personal ideal, wanted, and expected fertility.
Second experiment used a representative sample of U.S. adults to contrast general and personal ideals.
Expected fertility responses decreased when asked later in the survey sequence.
Personal ideal and wanted fertility were nearly indistinguishable and stable across sequences.
General ideal measures remained consistently higher among reproductive-age respondents compared to other fertility measures.

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Implication

Randomized trial investigates whether survey design affects fertility preference responses in diverse populations, suggesting implications for future surveys.

Cite This Study

Rackin et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a797d579c20a9bbd3184a1f https://doi.org/10.1111/padr.70081

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Implication

Randomized trial investigates whether survey design affects fertility preference responses in diverse populations, suggesting implications for future surveys.

Do Survey Respondents Distinguish between Ideal, Desired, and Expected Fertility? An Empirical Test of Survey Design Effects

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Do Survey Respondents Distinguish between Ideal, Desired, and Expected Fertility? An Empirical Test of Survey Design Effects

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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Also Consider