American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

What does information bias refer to in research?

1. A distortion caused by non-impartial questioning or responses

2. The odds of an outcome between two groups

3. A tendency to recall information based on social approval

4. Differences in outcome analysis based on participant knowledge

The correct answer is: A distortion caused by non-impartial questioning or responses

Information bias in research refers to the distortion that arises from the way data is collected, particularly through questioning or responses that are not impartial. This bias can occur if questions lead respondents in a particular direction or if their answers are influenced by their perceptions or beliefs, thus providing answers that do not accurately reflect reality. For example, if a survey about a health behavior uses leading questions that suggest a socially desirable response, the participants might respond with what they think is acceptable rather than their true behavior, leading to skewed data. This type of bias affects the validity of the research findings, as the collected information does not provide an accurate picture of the actual situation or behavior being studied. In contrast, the other options relate to different concepts. The odds of an outcome between two groups pertains to measures of association or comparative analysis, while recalling information based on social approval addresses social desirability bias, which is more about personal motivation than the collection process itself. Differences in outcome analysis based on participant knowledge could pertain to confounding variables or bias associated with varying levels of understanding among participants, but it does not specifically define information bias as it’s understood in research methodology.