Journal article

The Impact of Payment and Respondents’ Participation on Interviewers’ Accuracy in Face-to-face Surveys: Investigations from a Field Experiment


Authors listMenold, Natalja; Landrock, Uta; Winker, Peter; Pellner, Nathalie; Kemper, Christoph J.

Publication year2018

Pages295-311

JournalField Methods

Volume number30

Issue number4

ISSN1525-822X

eISSN1552-3969

DOI Linkhttps://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X18783977

PublisherSAGE Publications


Abstract
In face-to-face interviews, accurate work by interviewers is crucial for ensuring high-quality survey data. In a field experiment, payment of interviewers, legitimation of falsification behavior, and respondents' willingness to participate were experimentally varied. The impact of these factors on interviewers' accuracy during fieldwork was investigated. Low accuracy was operationalized, for instance, as noncompliance with the instructions concerning contacting and recruitment. In addition, falsifications by interviewers were investigated. There were fewer deviations from prescribed routines, and interviewers' work was of higher quality if the interviewers were paid per hour and when respondents belonged to the cooperative group, compared to break-offs. We conclude that high task difficulty may lead to a decrease of interviewers' accuracy. Payment per hour seems to ensure higher-quality data and should be preferred.



Authors/Editors




Citation Styles

Harvard Citation styleMenold, N., Landrock, U., Winker, P., Pellner, N. and Kemper, C. (2018) The Impact of Payment and Respondents’ Participation on Interviewers’ Accuracy in Face-to-face Surveys: Investigations from a Field Experiment, Field Methods, 30(4), pp. 295-311. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X18783977

APA Citation styleMenold, N., Landrock, U., Winker, P., Pellner, N., & Kemper, C. (2018). The Impact of Payment and Respondents’ Participation on Interviewers’ Accuracy in Face-to-face Surveys: Investigations from a Field Experiment. Field Methods. 30(4), 295-311. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X18783977


Last updated on 2025-24-06 at 11:15