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The Effect Of Answering In A Preferred Versus A Non-Preferred Survey Mode On Measurement, Jolene Smyth, Kristen Olson, Alian S. Kasabian

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Previous research has shown that offering respondents their preferred mode can increase response rates, but the effect of doing so on how respondents process and answer survey questions (i.e., measurement) is unclear. In this paper, we evaluate whether changes in question format have different effects on data quality for those responding in their preferred mode than for those responding in a non-preferred mode for three question types (multiple answer, open-ended, and grid). Respondents were asked about their preferred mode in a 2008 survey and were recontacted in 2009. In the recontact survey, respondents were randomly assigned to one of two …