Further investigating method effects associated with negatively worded items on self-report surveys

This article used multitrait-multimethod methodology and covariance modeling for an investigation of the presence and correlates of method effects associated with negatively worded items on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem (RSE) scale (Rosenberg, 1989) using a sample of 757 adults. Results showed that method effects associated with negative item phrasing on the RSE scale were present. Method effects associated with negative item wording were similarly observed with the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS; Hart, Leary, & Rejeski, 1989) and method effects were present and significantly correlated in analyses that included both the RSE scale and SPAS simultaneously. Path analysis modeling that incorporated personality measures identified factors that correlated with the presence of method effects. These findings further suggest that method effects associated with negatively worded items may be considered a response style.