Bias in Drug Abuse Survey Research

Abstract

An analysis of the drug abuse literature indicated that significant biases may affect the existing data. The lack of standardization in survey research leads to problems of reliability, validity and objectivity in drug abuse measurement. The demand characteristics of the survey situation may cause the subject to bias his responses in a particular direction, depending on his interaction with and his interpretations of the survey conditions. Overt and covert biases of the researcher may significantly affect the outcome of the survey. Limitations of the survey method itself (e.g., the source of the survey data, difficulties in obtaining random samples, conclusions overemphasizing student drug use, limitations of the sample survey as a measurement device) seriously restrict our understanding of drug abuse phenomena.