When Change Matters: The Effect of Dependent Interviewing on Survey Interaction in the British Household Panel Study

Publication type

Conference Paper

Series

University of Essex, Department of Health and Human Sciences Departmental Seminar

Authors

Publication date

May 14, 2008

Abstract:

We examine how dependent interviewing affects verbal interaction between interviewers and
respondents in questions obtaining current employment details in the British Household
Panel Study. Respondents experience few cognition problems when answering DI questions,
but interruption and elaboration are likely at PDI questions. These behaviours occur when
respondent circumstances have changed. Departures from standardised interviewing are also
likely when circumstances change. DI seems to reduce the accuracy of detail about such
change since we observe interviewer behaviour that others find to produce inaccurate data.
Nevertheless, these results may explain why DI reduces the odds of spurious change between
waves of panels.


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