The UCT approach approach to sensitive issues in surveys

S-005 examples

The UCT approach for sensitive issues • UCT: The Unmatched Count Technique

– Ask people about sensitive behavior at the same time as they are asked about a number of neutral or socially desirable behaviors

– Use two samples: a reference sample that answers questions only about unthreatening behaviors and a sample that answers a sensitive question as well• S1: only the easy questions• S2: the easy questions plus the sensitive question

– Respondents are asked to report only the total number of activities in which they have participated, but not which ones. (This is key. Only report “I have done three of these.” Or “I have done five of these.”)

– Subtracting the average number of behaviors in the reference group from the average number of behaviors in the sensitive-question group provides an estimate of the frequency of the sensitive behavior, while preserving the anonymity of those in the sensitive-question group.

The UCT approach• Version 1

1. I have volunteered to take part in after-school activities

2. I have had to ask for extra help in some of my courses

3. I have taken part in student-government activities

4. (maybe more questions here, right?)

• Version 21. I have volunteered to take

part in after-school activities2. I have had to ask for extra

help in some of my courses3. I have taken part in student-

government activities4. I have submitted work for

an assignment that was not fully my own work.

How many of these apply to you? How many of these apply to you?

Question 4 here is the sensitive question. ( We can put the questions in a different order, of course.)

Assess the results

• Group 1 hypothetical results:• Looking at the three activities, the

average is: 1.5

• Group 2 hypothetical results:• Looking at the four activities, the

average is: 1.75

The difference is: 1.75 – 1.50 = 0.25

So there is a difference of 25%. That means 25% of Group 2 indicated that they have submitted work that was not their own.

If we have been careful in how we ask, the difference in the mean score tells us something.

Did we randomly assign the groups?Did we ask a single group, but ask in a random

order?