RESPONSE BIAS IN NEEDS ASSESSMENT STUDIES

Agency awareness estimates provided in the typical needs assessment study are probably inflated by a response set labeled ''agency awareness acquiescence.'' More specifically, respondents who said that they were aware of one or more fictitious agencies (acquiescers) were more likely to report being aware of more ''real'' agencies than nonacquiescers. Although agency awareness acquiescence was related to the impression management component of social desirability, it was not related to the self-deception component of social desirability or to two acquiescence measures. Women exhibited slightly more agency awareness acquiescence than men. Age, ethnic background, and knowledge of the aging process had no impact on agency awareness acquiescence.