This research explores the processes of introspection, namely, how people answer questions about themselves. The research focuses on the early stages of the process where people interpret the question asked and search for relevant information. The meaning making process is revealed through a comparison of how people answer assertion questions (e.g., "I am happy") and negation questions (e.g., "I am not sad") that have the same semantic implication. The PIs' earlier research demonstrates that (a) respondents endorse assertions more than negations and do so more quickly, (b) wide individual differences occur in this "Endorsement Bias", and (c) personality scales often confound item type (i.e., assertion or negation) with the direction the item is scored. This research aims to identify the processes that produce this bias and technologies than can be used to eliminate its effects from self-reports. Many of the studies use the advanced statistical sophistication of Item Response Theory to identify the differences in meaning of semantically similar questions. This research will improve survey methodology, performance appraisal, and other forms of self-report information.
