The differential effect of induced response sets in a questionnaire without questions

In a replication of a study by B. L. Dubey and S. K. Verma (1980, unpublished), a questionnaire containing merely answer possibilities was administered to 140 Dutch psychology freshmen, under standard instructions and an induced frustration set. In addition, 2 more response sets were experimentally induced. Like Dubey and Verma's Ss in India, the induced frustration set resulted in a general increase of negative responses. The 2 other response sets resulted in similar response distributions as under standard instructions, possibly because of a ceiling effect. Results are discussed in terms of cross-cultural similarities, individual and gender differences, and the effect of instructional content on response preferences.