2024
By Saurabh Khan, Irene van Driel, Sindy Sumter, Chei Billedo, Lauren Taylor, and Olga Eisele
Our research introduces PictoPercept, an innovative open-scientific, web-based visual survey method designed to assess societal biases and perceptions in a non-obtrusive manner, with our first implementation focusing on youth perceptions of occupational roles. By leveraging the concept of pairwise wiki surveys and integrating visual stimuli, PictoPercept offers a nuanced tool for capturing sensitive societal perceptions without the influence of social desirability bias that often plagues traditional survey methods. This method allows participants to both respond to and contribute survey questions, facilitating a collaborative, adaptive, and inclusive data collection process. Initial applications target Dutch youth’s occupational stereotypes, and can reveal PictoPercept’s potential to uncover the intricate dynamics of digital media’s impact on societal perceptions and occupational stereotypes, promising significant contributions to communication science and beyond.