Dear colleagues,

we want to draw your attention to the session "Testing the Behavioral Validity of Survey Experiments" at the 9th International Conference on Social Science Methodology (RC33 Conference) in Leicester, 11-16 September 2016.

Extended deadline: 21.2.2016!

------------------- Call for Abstracts -------------------

Many survey experiments, such as factorial surveys, conjoint analyses or choice experiments are designed to measure behavioral intentions. However, there is an ongoing discussion how well intentions measured by such experiments correspond with actual behavior. Especially, it remains an important open research question how and to what extent the levels and determinants of behavioral intentions and choices made in actual decision situations are related.

Even given high quality measurements of intentions by survey experiments testing the behavioral validity of these intentions is challenging. First, actual behavioral alternatives are restricted by non-experimental set environmental conditions. Hence, the relevance of intentions for behavioral outcomes depends on the situational context. Second, survey data on behavioral outcome are often prone to unobserved heterogeneity. Finally, it is often a practical challenge to collect data on intentions and comparable actual behavior, in particular of the same sample of participants.

This session addresses issues linked to cross-validating experimentally measured intentions in surveys with corresponding behavioral data. Welcome are all contributions discussing theoretical models, empirical designs, analytic strategies and exemplary applications aiming to overcome related problems. In particular we invite papers dealing with at least one of the following questions:

• Which theoretical models are useful to specify the relationship between intentions and actual behavior in a general and empirical testable fashion? • Which empirical designs can help to test the behavioral validity of intentions? • Which data sources can serve as behavioral benchmark for validating intentions? • What are the advantages and limitations of a validation strategy using declared behavior in surveys? • What are the advantages and limitations of a validation strategy using observed behavior in laboratory or field experiments? • What are the advantages and limitations of a validation strategy using observed behavior in natural situations? • Which validation strategies are appropriate in which circumstances? • In which situations and under which conditions is it appropriate to measure behavioral intentions using survey experiments?

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We are awaiting your abstract submissions (max 5.000 characters) until 21st of February, 2016. If you plan to submit an abstract please use the online submission system http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/sociology/research/rc33-conference following the steps described in the file attached.

Best wishes,

Knut Petzold & Volker Lang