Social Interaction and Internet-Based Surveys: Examining the Effects of Virtual and In-Person Proctors on Careless Response

A lack of human interaction and environmental control in Internet-based data collection have been suggested as possible antecedents of careless responding, which occurs when participants respond to survey items without regard for item content. To address these possible antecedents, this study investigated whether survey proctoring deterred careless response in an undergraduate sample by reducing environmental distractions. The study randomly assigned respondents to one of three proctoring conditions: remote online un-proctored, remote online virtually proctored, and in-person classroom proctored. Data quality was examined via nine careless response indicators. Analyses indicated that proctor presence had effects on a small number of careless response indicators. Virtually proctored participants performed better than un-proctored participants on one of nine careless response indicators, and in-person proctored participants performed better on two careless response indicators compared to un-proctored participants. Environmental distraction fully mediated the relationship between in-person proctor presence and self-reported diligence. Implications for survey administration are discussed.