When interpreting results from global surveys and making comparisons across countries, consider how cultural differences can influence responses to even the most seemingly straightforward scale questions:
“[A] 26-country study shows that there are major differences in response styles between countries that both confirm and extend earlier research. Country-level characteristics such as power distance, collectivism, uncertainty avoidance and extraversion all significantly influence response styles such as acquiescence and extreme response styles.
Further, English-language questionnaires are shown to elicit a higher level of middle responses, while questionnaires in a respondent's native language result in more extreme response styles. Finally, English language competence is positively related to extreme response styles and negative related to middle response styles.” (Anne-Wil Harzing)