TY - JOUR
T1 - Item nonresponse
T2 - Distinguishing between don't know and refuse
AU - Shoemaker, Pamela J.
AU - Eichholz, Martin
AU - Skewes, Elizabeth A.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - The detrimental effects of item nonresponse on survey samples and question outcomes have been studied for many years. However, the difference between don't know answers and refusals - two kinds of item nonresponse - has not been examined empirically. This study used the theoretical constructs question sensitivity and cognitive effort to distinguish between don't knows and refusals and examined 242 questions from various national surveys. The results show that more sensitive questions get more refusals while questions that require more cognitive effort to be answered receive more don't knows. However, cognitive effort also correlates significantly with refusals. Thus, to decrease refusals, researchers should pay special attention to cognitive effort as well as sensitivity. To decrease don't knows, researchers should focus mostly on cognitive effort.
AB - The detrimental effects of item nonresponse on survey samples and question outcomes have been studied for many years. However, the difference between don't know answers and refusals - two kinds of item nonresponse - has not been examined empirically. This study used the theoretical constructs question sensitivity and cognitive effort to distinguish between don't knows and refusals and examined 242 questions from various national surveys. The results show that more sensitive questions get more refusals while questions that require more cognitive effort to be answered receive more don't knows. However, cognitive effort also correlates significantly with refusals. Thus, to decrease refusals, researchers should pay special attention to cognitive effort as well as sensitivity. To decrease don't knows, researchers should focus mostly on cognitive effort.
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U2 - 10.1093/ijpor/14.2.193
DO - 10.1093/ijpor/14.2.193
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0036098123
SN - 0954-2892
VL - 14
SP - 193
EP - 201
JO - International Journal of Public Opinion Research
JF - International Journal of Public Opinion Research
IS - 2
ER -