Cited by 356Survey Methodology and NonresponseSurvey Sampling and Estimation TechniquesCensus and Population Estimation

Using Survey Participants to Estimate the Impact of Nonparticipation

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Lin, I-Fen, Schaeffer, Nora Cate·1995·Public Opinion Quarterly

Abstract

We consider models that underlie two proposals to estimate nonparticipation bias. The first model posits a “continuum of resistance,” placing people who were interviewed during the first contact on one end of the continuum and nonparticipants on the other. The second model assumes that there are different classes of nonparticipants and that similar classes can be found among participants; it then uses groups of participants thought to be like nonparticipants to estimate the characteristics of nonparticipants. We examine the justification for these models of the relationship between participants and nonparticipants and consider how well proposed methods based on these models describe nonparticipants and the impact of nonparticipation on survey estimates. The case we analyze is estimates of means of child support awards and payments in Wisconsin. We find that neither model is successful and that the versions of the methods we use do not detect the true extent of nonparticipation error in estimates based on the unadjusted sample mean. This failure occurs both for an external measure that is not contaminated with response errors and for self-reports. But response errors, which are not considered in the models we have found in the literature, substantially worsen matters.

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Authors
Lin, I.-F., & Schaeffer, N. C.
Affiliations
University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
Venue
Public Opinion Quarterly
Published
1995
Volume
59
Issue
2
Pages
236
ISSN
0033-362X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2132606439
Cited by
356
References
22
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 23
FWCI
10.25
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Public Opinion Quarterly (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Survey Methodology and Nonresponse
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Survey Sampling and Estimation Techniques
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Census and Population Estimation
Keywords
survey nonresponse, response errors, child support payments, Wisconsin, self-report

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