The tendency of the individual to agree with items or questions irrespective of their content is called:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Acquiescence
Option (1) Social desirability — Incorrect. It is the other main problem of self-report measures: the respondent endorses items in a socially desirable manner, giving the answer that looks good. The answer depends on the content of the item, the opposite of agreeing irrespective of content.
Option (2) Projective technique — Incorrect. Projective techniques are indirect methods of assessment: a less structured stimulus lets the person project her/his feelings, desires and needs on to it. They are a way of assessing personality, not a tendency in answering items.
Option (3) Acquiescence — Correct. It is the tendency of the subject to agree with items irrespective of their contents, often seen as saying ‘yes’ to items. Like social desirability, it makes the assessment of personality less reliable.
Option (4) Self-esteem — Incorrect. Self-esteem is the judgment we make about our own value or worth. It is a part of the self, not a bias in answering a questionnaire.
Note 1: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 23-06-2023 (Slot 3).
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2025 on 16-05-2025 (Slot 1), and in CUET (UG) 2026 on 29-05-2026 (Slot 2).
NCERT (2025-26): “Self-report Measures … The self-report measures suffer from a number of problems. Social desirability is one of them. It is a tendency on the part of the respondent to endorse items in a socially desirable manner. Acquiescence is another one. It is a tendency of the subject to agree with items/questions irrespective of their contents. It often appears in the form of saying ‘yes’ to items. These tendencies render the assessment of personality less reliable.…” “Projective Techniques … These problems can be overcome by using indirect methods of assessment. Projective techniques fall in this category. Projective techniques were developed to assess unconscious motives and feelings. These techniques are based on the assumption that a less structured or unstructured stimulus or situation will allow the individual to project her/his feelings, desires and needs on to that situation.…” “Self-esteem … Self-esteem is an important aspect of our self. As persons we always make some judgment about our own value or worth.…” |