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The proportion of elderly people in general population samples is increasing. Therefore, it is becoming more important to pay special attention to older respondents when assessing the quality of data. The main hypothesis of the current article is that interviewer effects are higher in the older age-group. We use data collected in 13 countries during Round 7 of the European Social Survey. The results support the supposition that older respondents tend to need more clarification, are more prone to misunderstand the questions, and are likely to have longer interviews. In line with the expectations, we also observe that among older respondents, particularly those aged 71 and above, interviewer effects are more common than among younger respondents.

Interviewer characteristics affect nonresponse and measurement errors in face-to-face surveys. Some studies have shown that mismatched sociodemographic characteristics – for example gender – affect people’s behaviour when interacting with an interviewer at the door and during the survey interview, resulting in more nonresponse. We investigate the effect of sociodemographic (mis)matching on nonresponse in two successive rounds of the European Social Survey in Belgium. As such, we replicate the analyses of the effect of (mis)matching gender and age on unit nonresponse on the one hand, and of gender, age and education level(mis)matching on item nonresponse on the other hand. Recurring effects of sociodemographic (mis)match are found for both unit and item nonresponse. ispartof: Social Science Research vol:67 pages:229-238 ispartof: location:United States status: published

In surveys carried out by interviewers trained according to the key principle of standardized interviewing it is assumed that the interviewer has only limited impact on the time a respondent needs to answer questions. In the paper the effects of interviewers and respondent characteristics on interview speed are analyzed simultaneously by means of a three-level random coefficient model. Data from the fifth round of the European Social Survey (ESS) are used. In twelve participating countries (CAPI) timers were implemented at several places in the questionnaire. Based on this time information the interview speed (number of questions asked per minute) was measured for each respondent during five modules of the questionnaire. The results support most of the expectations concerning the effects of the respondent characteristics. However, the results also indicate that, for all countries, interviewers strongly determine the interview speed and that interview length is not a simple linear function of the number of questions in a questionnaire.

In order to investigate the advantage of mixed-mode (MM) surveys, selection effects between the modes should be evaluated. Selection effects refer to differences in respondent compositions on the target variables between the modes. However, estimation of selection effects is not an easy task because they may be completely confounded with measurement effects between the modes (differences in measurement error). Publications concerning the estimation of these mode effects are scarce. This article presents and compares three methods that allow measurement effects and selection effects to be evaluated separately. The first method starts from existing publications that avoid the confounding problem by introducing a set of mode-insensitive variables into the analysis model. However, this article will show that this method involves unrealistic assumptions in most practical research. The second and the third methods make use of an MM sample extended by comparable single-mode data. The assumptions, advantages, and...

Whether, and to what degree, the publication of poll results might influence the opinions of the public is a much-debated subject. While many effect-studies of polls have looked at the voting context, this study is an empirical investigation into the effects of poll information on personal opinions and perceptions of collective opinion on five nonelectoral, though politically relevant issues (independence of the Flemish region in Belgium, retirement income, immigration policy, purchasing power, and health-care solidarity). An experimental study was conducted in which poll information was integrated into a survey of a randomly selected group of respondents in order to test the overall impact of poll results on opinions, as well as the differential effects depending on individual characteristics, such as opinion strength, political interest, and perceived poll influence. Furthermore, a two-wave panel design was used to investigate the duration and repeatability of the poll effects. It was successively found in both waves and consistently for all issues that exposure to poll information primarily affected the perceptions of collective opinion, while the personal opinions on political issues remained unaffected. This poll effect on the perceptions of collective opinion was observed not only shortly after being exposed to the poll information, but also three months later.

Survey designs in which data from different groups of respondents are collected by different survey modes have become increasingly popular. However, such mixed-mode (MM) designs lead to a confounding of selection effects and measurement effects (measure- ment error) caused by mode differences. Consequently, MM data have poor quality. Nevertheless, comparing MM data with data from a compa- rable single-mode survey allows researchers to measure selection effects and measurement effects separately. The authors develop a method to evaluate mode effects and illustrate this method with data from a Dutch MM experiment within the European Social Survey program. In this experiment, respondents could choose between three modes: a Web sur- vey, a telephone interview, or a face-to-face interview. Mode effects on three political variables are evaluated: interest in politics, perceived com- plexity of politics, and voter turnout in the last national election.

The current study experimentally investigates the differ- ences in data quality between a face-to-face and a web survey. Based on satisficing theory, it was hypothesized that web survey respondents would be more likely to satisfice for a multitude of reasons, thereby pro- ducing data of lower quality. The data show support for the hypothesis. Web survey respondents were shown to produce a higher "don't know" response rate, to differentiate less on rating scales, and to produce more item nonresponse than face-to-face survey respondents.

Respondent's opinions about survey research are regarded as an expression at the individual level of the general survey-taking climate. Based on a review of the research about ‘surveys on surveys’ five relevant dimensions of the respondent's opinion about surveys are distinguished: survey enjoyment, survey value, survey cost, survey reliability, and survey privacy. Items related to these aspects are used to develop an ‘Opinions about Survey Scale’. The results of an analysis of the predictive validity of the scale support the expectations based on the theory of planned behavior. Opinions about surveys are associated with the intention to participate in future surveys and with hesitation to fill out the questionnaire of a mail survey. Opinions are not related with participation in a follow-up mail survey. The results of the wave analysis of a mail survey are a clear indication that nonrespondents have more negative opinions about different aspects of surveys. This also means that the measurement of opinions is biased. However, because of this bias it is worthwhile and useful to measure these opinions.

Unit nonresponse in the second wave of a panel survey is related to several respondent characteristics and to the interviewer of that wave. More striking is the effect of the interviewer of the first wave, who is not involved in the second interview. To analyze both interviewer effects simultaneously, the authors use a multilevel cross-classified model. In that analysis, the effect of the interviewer of the second wave almost disappears. That effect turns out to be at least partly spurious due to a correlation of both interviewer effects. The authors conclude that the interviewer of the first interview is very important regarding participation in the subsequent waves of a panel survey.

Une évaluation d'une typologie de répondants avec un modèle logit multiniveau et multinomial. Dans cet article, nous examinons une typologie de répondants à une enquête, basée sur les rapports des interviewers. Dans de tels rapports, l'interviewer évalue la motivation et les capacités des interviewés à répondre aux questions. Dans un article précédent, cette information a été utilisée pour créer une typologie de répondants de trois types. Le premier a largement les capacités cognitives requises et il est bien motivé. Le deuxième type ressemble au premier, mais avec des capacités et motivations moindres. Le troisième type a des problèmes à répondre au questionnaire. Il est possible de valider cette typologie empiriquement en confrontant les caractéristiques sociologiques des répondants avec les indicateurs de qualité des données recueillies. Nous faisons une validation de cette typologie avec une analyse multiniveau, contrôlant ainsi pour le biais des interviewers. L'analyse multiniveau prend en compte la structure hiérarchique des données d'enquête et offre la meilleure possibilité d'analyser les effets d'interviewer. Nous utilisons un modèle logit multiniveau et multinomial avec les caractéristiques des répondants et leur comportement de réponse comme variables indépendantes. la typologie comme variable dépendante et l'interviewer comme identificateur du niveau 2. Nos résultats montrent une variabilité significative des interviewers, ce qui remet en question l'utilité des rapports d'interviewers dans la construction d'une typologie de répondants.

Une évaluation de certains méthodes classificatoires de données de types dlfférents. La classification d'objets décrits par des variables de types différents nominales, ordinales ou numériques - a toujours posé des problèmes pour les méthodes classificatoires. Cet article présente brièvement certaines méthodes de classifications pour des données de types différents. Ces méthodes comprennent le coefficient de Gower. le coefficient de Kaufman et Rousseeuw. la matrice combinée de ressemblance de Romesburg, la méthode d'Everitt et Merette et finalement le logiciel Groupals. Certaines des méthodes sont comparées gràce à une simulation. Nous avons employé une approche gaussien conditionnelle de mélange pour engendrer un ensemble de données fictives de types différents mais avec une structure classificatoire connue. Nous déduisons de notre simulation que le coefficient de Gower n'est pas aussi performant que le programme Groupals et l'emploi de codages binaires.

Caractéristique des interactions dans des expériences de l'utilisation des mots dans les questionnaires. Des résultats d'analyses de l'interaction interviewer-répondant sont peu utilisés dans les recherches sur la qualité des données. Avec une analyse d'interaction des entretiens enregistrés sur bande lors d'une expérience sur l'utilisation des mots dans des questionnaires. Il est possible de valider quelqu'unes des explications proposées pour certains effets produit par l'utilisation des mots. Des expériences sur l'étendue de l'échelle des réponses, l'utilisation explicite du filtre "pas d'opinion" , et l'utilisation des verbes "Interdire" ou "permettre" sont étudiées.

La sensibilité des analyses classificatoires aux variables non-pertinentes. L'analyse classificatoire hiérarchique ascendante est souvent utilisée comme outil d'exploration. L'auteur étudie la sensibilité des analyses classificatoires aux variables non-pertinentes. Après un bref survol de la littérature scientifique, une étude par simulation est présentée dans laquelle une variable aléatoire est ajoutée à l'ensemble des variables qui possèdent une structure classificatoire a priori Cette étude par simulation montre que la plupart des méthodes classificatoires sont sensibles aux variables aléatoires. mais la méthode de Ward l'est mois que d'autres. Même sans ce "bruit", les résultats basés sur l'algorithme de lien simple posaient des problèmes. L'auteur en conclut que l'analyse classificatoire traditionnelle doit être employée seulement quand on a une bonne idée des variables qui doivent être utilisées dans l'analyse. Sinon, on doit employer une pondération ou réduire le nombre de dimensions. tout en préservant la structure classificatoire. Malheureusement, de telles méthodes ne sont pas encore facilement accessibles aux sociologues.

Le profil du répondant difficile à interviewer. Dans cet article nous faisons l'hypothèse que tout répondant est motivé à coopérer et qu'il a suffisamment de capacités cognitives et de communication pour remplir de façon adéquate le rôle de répondant. Une typologie des motivations et des capacités de répondants est construites avec l'analyse des classes latentes. Les classes de cette typologie peuvent être caractérisées par rapport à la difficulté ou la facilité à être interviewer des répondants. Il est possible de mettre la typologie en relations avec l'âge et l'éducation. La typologie est aussi liée à des aspects concrets du comportement de réponse: "utilisation du 'je ne sais pas"'. "réponses contradictoires", et "utilisation du style de réponse restreinte". Les répondants difficile-à-interviewer ont un niveau d'éducation plus bas, sont plus vieux, utilisant le "je ne sais pas" fréquemment et tendent à donner des réponses contradictoires.

In this study we analyze the effects of interviewer training on the quality of responses. Data from a field experiment reveal a number of significant differences between trained and untrained interviewers in terms of nonresponse and the amount of information obtained. For some questions, an interaction effect occurred between interviewer training, the use of tape recorders, and the kind of responses. The effects of training appear to be dependent on the structure of the questions. Since such effects occur primarily with questions that assume a great deal of inter- viewer activity, it is suggested that they are indeed due to the application of the techniques acquired by training, namely giving instructions, probing, and feedback. A brief analysis of the inter- viewer-respondent interaction supports this interpretation. It is generally accepted that the task performance of the interviewer can have an effect on the responses to factual survey questions. This awareness of the interviewer's potential for manipulating responses has generated numerous attempts to control interviewer behavior. Task rules (Brenner, 198 la, 198 lb) and special interviewing techniques (Cannell, Miller, and Oksenberg, 1981) have been designed in the ex- pectation that their correct application will yield an improvement in response quality. Moreover, efforts have been made to develop instru- ments for analyzing question-answer sequences in order to have a