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When Change Matters: An Analysis of Survey Interaction in Dependent Interviewing on the British Household Panel Study

Author

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  • SC Noah Uhrig

    (University of Essex, United Kingdom, scnuhrig@essex.ac.uk)

  • Emanuela Sala

    (Università di Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy)

Abstract

The authors examine how questionnaire structure affects survey interaction in the context of dependent interviewing (DI). DI is widely used in panel surveys to reduce observed spurious change in respondent circumstances. Although a growing literature generally finds beneficial measurement properties, little is known about how DI functions in interviews. The authors systematically observed survey interaction using behavior coding and analyzed an application of DI to obtain respondent employment characteristics. The authors found respondents indicated change in circumstances through a number of verbal machinations, including mismatch answers and explanations. Assessing whether these behaviors influenced subsequent question administration, the authors found qualitative evidence that the information disclosed when negating a DI question leads to subsequent interviewing errors. Quantitative analyses supported this evidence, suggesting that standardized interviewing deteriorates as respondents struggle to identify change in their circumstances. This analysis suggests that the reliability of detail about changed circumstances may not be improved using DI.

Suggested Citation

  • SC Noah Uhrig & Emanuela Sala, 2011. "When Change Matters: An Analysis of Survey Interaction in Dependent Interviewing on the British Household Panel Study," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 40(2), pages 333-366, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:somere:v:40:y:2011:i:2:p:333-366
    DOI: 10.1177/0049124111404816
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lynn, Peter & Jäckle, Annette & Sala, Emanuela & P. Jenkins, Stephen, 2004. "The impact of interviewing method on measurement error in panel survey measures of benefit receipt: evidence from a validation study," ISER Working Paper Series 2004-28, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    2. Wil Dijkstra & Yfke Ongena, 2006. "Question-Answer Sequences in Survey-Interviews," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 40(6), pages 983-1011, December.
    3. Lynn, Peter & Sala, Emanuela & Noah Uhrig, S.C., 2008. "The development and implementation of a coding scheme to analyse interview dynamics in the British Household Panel Survey," ISER Working Paper Series 2008-19, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    4. Jäckle, Annette & Noah Uhrig, S.C. & Laurie, Heather, 2007. "The introduction of dependent interviewing on the British Household Panel Survey," ISER Working Paper Series 2007-07, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    5. Lynn, Peter & Jäckle, Annette & Sala, Emanuela & P. Jenkins, Stephen, 2004. "Validation of survey data on income and employment: the ISMIE experience," ISER Working Paper Series 2004-14, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    6. Nico Molenaar & Johannes Smit, 1996. "Asking and answering yes/no-questions in survey interviews: a conversational approach," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 115-136, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Francisco Perales & Bernard Baffour & Francis Mitrou, 2015. "Ethnic Differences in the Quality of the Interview Process and Implications for Survey Analysis: The Case of Indigenous Australians," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-20, June.
    2. Lynn, Peter & Jäckle, Annette & Hope, Steven & C. Campanelli, Pamela & Nicolaas, Gerry, 2012. "Effects of visual and aural communication of categorical response options on answers to survey questions," ISER Working Paper Series 2012-21, Institute for Social and Economic Research.

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