Web Survey Bibliography
Relevance and Research Question:
It is well-documented that online surveys elicit higher reports of socially undesirable behavior than interviewer-administered surveys. However, there are possible exceptions, where the form of the question may inhibit the revelation of prejudicial attitudes. In research exploring race of interviewer effects, Krysan and Couper (2003) found some instances where white respondents (for example) gave more negative responses to interviewers than to computerized instruments. In qualitative debriefings, some respondents noted that talking to an interviewer gave them an opportunity to explain their choice of responses; in the CASI condition (as on the Web; see Krysan and Couper, 2005), they could only pick one of the response options, without the opportunity to justify their choice. We called this the “I’m not a racist, but…” phenomenon. An online experiment was designed to explore the hypothesis that, when given an opportunity to explain or clarify their answers, respondents will give more prejudicial responses.
Methods and Data:
Two experiments were embedded in the LISS online probability-based panel in the Netherlands. In both cases a set of 9 items on attitudes toward immigrants was asked. In the first study, conducted in August 2009 (n=4639), a random half received an open-ended question on a separate page following each closed question. In the second study, conducted in December 2010 (n=5328), for a random half of respondents, an optional open-ended comment appeared below each closed-ended question on the same page.
Results:
The results provide support for the hypothesis. In both cases, respondents given the open question gave significantly more prejudiced responses (F[1, 4352]=25.6, p<.001 for Exp. 1 and F[1, 5326]=7.1, p=0.008 for Exp. 2) than those getting only the closed-ended question. However, contrary to expectation, the effect was larger in experiment 1 than 2. We explore this finding in greater detail, examining both responses to individual items and those who made use of the text box to offer comments.
Added Value:
This study suggests value in giving respondents the opportunity to voice their opinions in their own words, rather than just requiring them to agree or disagree with one of the response options.
GOR Homepage (abstract) / (presentation)
Web survey bibliography (4086)
- Is Pretesting Established Among Online Survey Tool Users?; 2012
- An Evaluation of Two Non-Reactive Web Questionnaire Pretesting Methods; 2012; Lenzner, T.
- Recommendations for implementing online surveys and simple experiments in social and behavioural research...; 2012; Hewson, C. M.
- High potential for mobile Web surveys: Findings from a survey representative for German Internet users...; 2012; Funke, F., Wachenfeld, A.
- A taxonomy of paradata for web surveys and computer assisted self interviewing (Casi); 2012; Callegaro, M.
- Can Social Media Research replace traditional research methods?; 2012; Faber, T., Einhorn, M., Hofmann, O., Loeffler, M.
- Bad Boy Matrix Question – Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?; 2012; Tress, F.
- Matrix vs. Single Question Formats in Web Surveys: Results from a large scale experiment; 2012; Klausch, L. T., de Leeuw, E. D., Hox, J., de Jongh, A., Roberts , A.
- Effects of Static versus Dynamic Formatting Instructions for Open-Ended Numerical Questions in Web Surveys...; 2012; Kunz, T., Fuchs, M.
- FamilyVote – Conducting online surveys with children and families; 2012; Geissler, H., Peeters, H.
- The influence of social desirability on data quality in face-to-face and web surveys; 2012; Keusch, F.
- Reducing the Threat of Sensitive Questions in Online Surveys; 2012; Couper, M. P.
- Using the Internet to Administer More Realistic Vignette Experiments; 2012; Caro, F. G., Ho, T., McFadden, D., Gottlieb, A. S., Yee, C., Chan, T.,
- Succinct Survey Measures of Web-Use Skills; 2012; Hargittai, E., Hsieh, Y. P.
- Data Use: Trying to bring the numbers alive ; 2012; Rung, J., Woll, B., Edstrom, C.
- The impact of two-stage highly interesting questions on completion rates and data quality in online...; 2012; Hansen, J. M., Smith, S. M.
- User models as revealed in web-based research services; 2012; Bodoff, D., Raban, D.
- When to Use What Research Design ; 2012; Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., Haeffele, L. M.
- Assessing the Quality of Survey Data ; 2012; Blasius, J.
- Collecting, Managing, and Assessing Data Using Sample Surveys; 2012; Stopher, P.
- Designing and Doing Survey Research; 2012; Andres, L.
- The Impact of Visual Design in Survey Cover Letters on Response and Web Take-Up Rates; 2012; Mockovak, W.
- Validation of an online questionnaire measure of the relative reinforcing value of food; 2012; Reslan, S., Saules, K. K., Greenwald, M. K.
- Monitoring Validated Quality of Life Outcomes After Prostatectomy: Initial Description of Novel Online...; 2012; Sebrow, D., Lavery, H. J., Brajtbord, J. S., Hobbs, A., W., Levinson, A. W., Samadi, D. B.
- Who should supervise students during self-report interviews? A controlled experiment on response behavior...; 2012; Walser, S., Killias, M.
- Web-Based Recruiting for Health Research Using a Social Networking Site: An Exploratory Study; 2012; Fenner, Y., Garland, P., Moore, E. E., Jayasinghe, Y., Fletcher, A., Tabrizi, S. N., Gunasekaran, B.,...
- Exploring Animated Faces Scales in Web Surveys: Drawbacks and Prospects; 2012; Emde, M., Fuchs, M.
- Smart Surveys for Smart Phones: Exploring Various Approaches for Conducting Online Mobile Surveys via...; 2012; Buskirk, T. D., Andrus, C.
- Use of incentives and web-based administration for surveying student alcohol and substance use in an...; 2012; Onoye, J. M., Goebert, D., Nishimura, S.
- Reminders in Web-Based Data Collection: Increasing Response at the Price of Retention?; 2012; Goeritz, A., Crutzen, R.
- Does survey format influence self-disclosure on sensitive question items?; 2012; Kays, K., Gathercoal, K., Buhrow, W.
- Why semantic differentials in Web-based research should be made from visual analogue scales and not...; 2012; Funke, F., Reips, U.-D.
- Using Webinar Polls to Collect Online Survey Data: The Case of a Behavioral Finance Problem; 2012; Sahu, C.
- Non-Response Bias with a Web-Based Survey of College Students: Differences from a Classroom Survey About...; 2012; Wells, W., Cavanaugh, M. R., Nobles, M. R., Bouffard, Je. A.
- The cost-effectiveness of cash versus lottery incentives for a web-based, stated-preference community...; 2012; Gajic, A., Cameron, D., Hurley, J.
- Multiple Sources of Nonobservation Error in Telephone Surveys: Coverage and Nonresponse; 2011; Peytchev, A.; Carley-Baxter, L. R.; Black, M. C.
- Online Questionnaires for Outbreak Investigations; 2011; Parry, A. E.; Johnson, D. R.; Byron-Gray, K.; Raupach, J. C. A.; McPherson, M.
- Inventory of published research: Response burden measurement and reduction in official business statistics...; 2011; Giesen, D. & Snijkers, G. (Eds.), Bavdaz, M., Bergstrom, Y., Gravem, D. F., Haraldsen, G., Hedlin, D...
- Effects of speeding on satisficing in Mixed-Mode Surveys; 2011; Bathelt, S., Bauknecht, J.
- Using Research-Based Practices to Increase Response Rates of Web-Based Surveys; 2011; Perkins, R. A.
- Using break-offs in web interviews for predicting web response in mixed mode surveys; 2011; Beukenhorst, D.
- Web panels in Slovenia; 2011; Lenar, J.
- Traditional and non-traditional treatments for autism spectrum disorder with seizures: an on-line survey...; 2011; Frye, R. E., Sreenivasula, S., Adams, J. B.
- Understanding the new digital divide—A typology of Internet users in Europe; 2011; Brandtzæg, P.B.; Heim, J.; Karahasanoviæ, A.
- Patients’ attitudes toward side effects of antidepressants: an Internet survey; 2011; Kikuchi, T., Uchida, H., Suzuki, T., Watanabe, K., Kashima, H.
- Web-based or paper-based surveys: a quandary?; 2011; Bennett, L., Sid Nair, C.
- Refining the Total Survey Error Perspective; 2011; Smith, T. W.
- ELIPSS: Étude Longitudinale par Internet Pour les Sciences Sociales; 2011; Legleye, S., Lesnard, L.
- Less questions, more data: Revitalizing the european currency in single source affluent audience measurement...; 2011; Hartman, H.
- Linking website exposure data to survey data: A single-source solution; 2011; Krahn, J., Landi, J., Melton, E.