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This study compared three methods of collecting survey data about sexual behaviors and other sensitive topics: computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI), computer-assisted self-administered interviewing (CASI), and audio computer-assisted self-administered interviewing (ACASI). Interviews were conducted with an area probability sample of more than 300 adults in Cook County, Illinois. The experiment also compared open and closed questions about the number of sex partners and varied the context in which the sex partner items were embedded. The three mode groups did not differ in response rates, but the mode of data collection did affect the level of reporting of sensitive behaviors: both forms of self-administration tended to reduce the disparity between men and women in the number of sex partners reported. Self-administration, especially via ACASI, also increased the proportion of respondents admitting that they had used illicit drugs. In addition, when the closed answer options emphasized the low end of the distribution, fewer sex partners were reported than when the options emphasized the high end of the distribution; responses to the open-ended versions of the sex partner items generally fell between responses to the two closed versions., Over the past 2 decades, two trends have transformed survey data collection in the United States. The first trend has been the introduction and widespread adoption of computerized tools for [...]

Introduction Continuing its 5 decades of sponsoring survey research on anti-Semitism and intergroup tolerance (Smith 1994a), the American Jewish Committee (AJC) decided in 1992 to 'explore systematically the degree of [...]

An analysis of results from three surveys taken in 1964, 1981 and 1992 about anti-Semitism reveals that strong feelings have lessened throughout the years. The majority of questions from the three surveys were similarly worded, but the differences in wording had little effect on the survey results.

The effects of televangelist scandals on the public were studied. Religious behavior and attitudes toward televangelists were affected by the scandals. Church membership declined from 69% to 65% between 1986 and 1988, and the percentage of people who prayed every day dropped from 58% to 53% between 1985 and 1989. Forty-one percent of the public rated televangelists as trustworthy in 1980, compared to 23% in 1987 and 16% in 1989.

TOM W. SMITH National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago Divided by Color is a solid contribution to the literature on American race relations. Kinder and Sanders combine historical perspective, [...]

The editors of the scholarly periodical "Public Opinion Quarterly" (POQ) discuss their stewardship of the magazine as of January 2013. They discuss their motivations for applying to become editors of the journal, their experiences with former editors of the journal and what they learned from them. They also discuss several members of the journal's editorial staff including scholars Kate Kenski, Christopher Wlezien, and Andy Peytchev. According to the article, the journal would feature several sections including the Poll Trends section, Research Synthesis section, and Book Reviews section. The editors also discuss the editorial board of the journal.

Despite great concern over declining rates of survey cooperation, few polling organizations collect trend data on possible causes of its decline. We gather these data in order to examine the causes of declining survey cooperation, such as confidentiality and privacy concerns, the rise of telemarketers, popular understanding of survey accuracy, biases of polling organizations, and attitudes toward the societal benefits of survey research. Although the proportion of people who have participated in at least one survey has increased, knowledge of sampling procedures has not. Meanwhile, a wide variety of attitudes toward polling have grown more negative. In 2006, pollsters fell in measures of trust in occupational categories to levels similar to members of Congress and union leaders. Overall, there has been a markedly negative shift in attitudes toward public opinion researchers and polls across several dimensions between the mid-1990s and the first decade of the 2000s. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Fifty years after the Korean War (1950-1953), sometimes called the Forgotten War, the Koreas had receded into the back of the American mind. But the Axis of Evil address and the revelation of North Korea's nuclear weapons program have reeducated Americans to see the South as an ally and the North as a menacing regime. Despite an overwhelming antipathy to North Korea and a heightened sense of vulnerability, few Americans support a course of action more aggressive than diplomatic negotiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]