Brief: Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview

The traditional face-to-face (FTF) survey method cannot accommodate the privacy needed to mitigate the effect of social-desirability bias, particularly with the most sensitive topics such as corporal punishment and sexual violence, nor does it provide a means to elicit authentic responses. Indeed, an assessor asking a respondent questions about their experiences of violence will contribute to the stress of taking such a survey. However, audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) does hold promise in addressing this issue with survey administration. This brief provides an overview of ACASI, discusses a 2019 large-scale study that compared the ACASI and FTF administration methods, and provides data for discussion regarding ACASI’s viability as a more effective method of survey administration when collecting data on experiences of SRGBV.