1. CALL SCREENING.
- Author
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Link, Michael W. and Oldendick, Robert W.
- Subjects
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TELEPHONE calls , *TELEPHONE systems , *TELECOMMUNICATION systems , *TELEPHONE answering & recording apparatus , *CALLER ID telephone service , *AUTOMATIC identification , *TELEPHONE call accounting - Abstract
The article examines the relationship between call screening and issues related to nonresponse by focusing on the use of telephone answering machines (TAM) and caller identification services (Caller-ID) as call-screening devices in the U.S. While much has been written about the problems associated with TAM, there have been fewer studies of the impact of Caller-ID services on the conduct of public opinion surveys. It was discovered in a national, face-to-face survey that Caller-ID subscribers were more likely to be involved in political and social activities than were respondents who do not use or have access to such services or devices. The research presented here builds on and extends this work in several ways. First, it provide a current profile of those in South Carolina who report using Caller-ID, a TAM, or both to screen their unwanted telephone calls. Second, it offer an analysis of the types of listings that are displayed in Caller-ID units and whether these listings make respondents more willing or more hesitant to answer the phone. It also examines the effects of screening practices on several measures of nonresponse, including the number of attempts it takes to complete surveys by telephone, the number of days on which calls were attempted, and the likelihood of encountering a refusal before obtaining a completion with the selected respondent.
- Published
- 1999
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