This study examines the prevalence, contexts, and demographic correlates of mono-tonic response patterns (MRPs) in online student evaluations. Results of two-level hierarchicalgeneralized linear models show evidence of careless monotonic responses to a survey adminis-tered to students enrolled in a university-levelforeign language course in the Republic of Korea.All else being equal, freshmen and students in classes with fewer survey participants were morelikely to choose monotonic response patterns in course evaluations. Possible factors at work ingenerating MRPs are identified and discussed. The severity of the MRP problem in online ratingsunderscores the importance for administrators toconsider possible validity threats in studentevaluations before using them as tools to inform instructional and administrative decisions. It isalso important to design course evaluation surveys in such a way as to minimize carelessresponses and to identify means to induce more thoughtful responses from college students

• Correlates of monotonic response patterns in online ratingsof a university course