response style

n. In psychometrics, a tendency to select certain answers in a multiple-choice test or questionnaire regardless of the content of the items. Thus some persons' responses occur only in the middle three categories in a five- or seven-choice set while other persons' responses occur mostly in the extreme ranges of categories. Other persons seem to acquiesce and go along with what they perceive as the test makers' intent, and others pick what appear to be the most socially desirable responses.