Original scientific paper

Slammed Door: Empirical Analysis of Survey Refusal Reasons

Jelena ŠOŠA ; Zadar
Goran MILAS ; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar; Zagreb

Abstract

Recently the frequent refusal of participation in surveys
represents a growing problem because it is threatening the
probabilistic nature of the sample, and thus the validity of
the data gathered in the survey. In this paper the authors
attempted to examine the reasons for accepting or refusing
participation in surveys by analysing and comparing the
answers given by the persons who agreed to participate in
the survey against those who refused to do so. The theories
used so far in attempts of interpreting survey refusal served
as a referential framework. A questionnaire about
participation/non-participation in surveys was used to
examine a sample of 408 citizens of Zagreb, 293 of which
agreed to while 115 refused to do the survey. It was proved
that among the reasons offered for participation in the
survey the most significant ones were those connected with
the interviewers, while the most frequent reasons for survey
non-participation were a lack of time or momentary
indisposition. A comparison between persons who refused to and those who agreed to participate in the survey showed
that the decision of the latter is predominantly influenced by
the wish to assist the interviewer and generally by the
interviewer’s assessment, as well as by a greater belief in the
importance of surveys and a stronger need to express one’s
own opinion. The reasons for refusing a survey are grouped
into two factors, momentary indisposition and dislike of
interviewer. The research indicates that participation or nonparticipation
in questionnaires in conditions of typical surveys
can best be explained by the theory of pro-social behaviour
and assistance.

Keywords

survey refusal; survey turnout; sample; bias

Hrčak ID:

29433

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/29433

Publication date:

31.10.2008.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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