Does simply asking a question cause some respondents mental distress?
Our experience indicates that some questions may cause momentary unhappiness when asked. Unemployed persons may become upset in talking about being fired or out of work. People may become unhappy talking about their own illness or that of a friend or relative. However, this risk is well within the range of day-to-day experiences and activities. There is no known case, of any person sustaining any lasting physical or psychological harm from a survey interview. On the contrary, many people report that talking about themselves and their problems is therapeutic. Analysis of response rates across studies indicate that people are more willing to be interviewed about their work or health, and to spend a longer time giving interviewers what might be considered “personal information” than they are to talk about public affairs or foreign policy. • Does answering a question cause some respondents mental distress? Respondents have significant defenses against becoming embarrassed by answering a su
