Responses to survey questions can be influenced by the data collection methods or the phrasing of questions. This paper uses 'CUB models' to identify the cognitive process components underlying responses. This methodology is applied to data from sample surveys conducted by the Bank of Italy of Italian households and firms.
The results show that different data collection modes and question wording or graphical representation do not affect respondents' perceptions of the phenomena under review, but they can produce effects on response uncertainty. The proposed methodology appears particularly robust for analysing responses that require a high degree of subjective judgment, such as those on perceived satisfaction or expectations.
