IJ
IJCRM
International Journal of Contemporary Research in Multidisciplinary
ISSN: 2583-7397
Open Access • Peer Reviewed
Impact Factor: 5.67

International Journal of Contemporary Research In Multidisciplinary, 2025;4(6):190-193

Mindset, Moment, and Measurement: Addressing Bias and Response Instability in Questionnaire-Based Social Science Research

Author Name: Rupesh Ranjan;  

1. Independent Researcher, India

Abstract

Questionnaires are indispensable in social science research, yet they are vulnerable to the instability of human cognition and emotion. Respondents’ answers often depend on their transient mindset, emotional state, or situational context, which may not reflect their enduring beliefs or behaviours. This paper examines the problem of response bias arising from mindset-dependent answering and evaluates whether such biases undermine the validity of social science research. Drawing upon the works of Choi & Pak (2005), Bogner & Landrock (2016), and Bhattacherjee (2012), among others, it argues that while bias cannot be completely eradicated, it can be minimised through methodological rigour, triangulation, and reflexive interpretation. The study concludes that social sciences do not fail due to bias; rather, their strength lies in the reflexive awareness and transparent management of human variability in responses.

Keywords

Questionnaire bias, mindset effect, response bias, social desirability, temporal variation, survey validity, methodological rigour, social science research