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Web Survey Bibliography

Title Examination of Panel Conditioning Effects in a Web-Based 2007-2008 Election Study.
Year 2011
Access date 31.07.2011
Abstract

Survey panels provide a useful mechanism for longitudinal measurement of within-person change and also can be cost effective compared to conducting another cross-sectional survey. However, because of sample losses that predictably occur, the panel sample can deteriorate in terms of representativeness or else the respondents themselves might change in their self-reports to survey questions as a direct consequence of their participation in the panel. This latter set of consequences constitutes panel conditioning. Not all panel conditioning lead to more error. Respondents might become better ―survey takers‖ in being able to report their true attitudes and opinions in answering survey questions (i.e., improved predictive reliability). Other consequences are less helpful, such as actual changes in attitudes, opinions, behavior, and knowledge that can be attributed to panel participation. In this paper, we‘ll accomplish two things. First, we will present a typology of panel conditioning. Second, we will show the results of multivariate regression tests that isolate the impact of prior survey taking on survey responses. We have identified certain political knowledge questions for which there is evidence of limited panel conditioning effects (i.e., more panel experience, more knowledge), while a host of opinion and attitude items did not have such effects. The data source will be the 2008 Associated Press-Yahoo! News Poll conducted by Knowledge Networks with contributions from political scientists at Harvard University and Stanford University. The study involved an eleven-wave web panel election survey of general population U.S. adults. The baseline data collection occurred prior to the onset of the political primaries (November 2007) and the final data collection took place after the November 2008 general election.

 

 

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Year of publication2011
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
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