Example of Anchoring Vignettes

To fix ideas, we begin with an example. Consider two questions along with response categories which [depending on the choice within the square brackets] are each asked as a self-assessment of the respondent and about each of the vignettes:

1. How free do you think [name/you] [is/are] to express [him-her/your]self without fear of government reprisal? (A) Completely Free, (B) Very Free, (C) Moderately Free, (D) Slightly Free, (E) Not Free at All
2. How comfortable would [you/name] be in expressing strong opposition to government policies in public? (A) Very comfortable, (B) somewhat comfortable, (C) not comfortable at all.

Each question also has a corresponding set of vignettes. The vignettes can be the same or different for each question. Here is an example set:

1. [Kay] does not like many of the government's policies. She frequently publishes her opinion in newspapers, criticizing decisions by officials and calling for change. She sees little reason these actions could lead to government reprisal.
2. [Michael] disagrees with my of the government's policies. Though he knows criticism is frowned upon, he doesn't believe the government would punish someone for expressing critical views. He makes his opinion known on most issues without regard to who is listening.
3. [Bob] has political views at odds with the government. He has heard of people occasionally being arrested for speaking out against the government, and government leaders sometimes make political speeches condemning those who criticize. He sometimes writes letters to newspapers about politics, but he is careful not to use his real name.
4. [Connie] does not like the government's stance on many issues. She has a friend who was arrested for being too openly critical of governmental leaders, and so she avoids voicing her opinions in public places.
5. [Vito] disagrees with many of the government's policies, and is very careful about whom he says this to, reserving his real opinions for family and close friends only. He knows several men who have been taken away by government officials for saying negative things in public.
6. [Sonny] lives in fear of being harassed for his political views. Everyone he knows who has spoken out against the government has been arrested or taken away. He never says a word about anything the government does, not even when he is at home alone with his family.

Each question above is asked of the respondent and of each vignette. Self-assessment questions can also be added that do not have corresponding vignettes. Response categories are the same for self-assessments and vignette assessments, and missing data is allowed throughout.