Did You Like the Interview? Interviewer Effects on Respondents’ Interview Pleasantness Ratings

Abstract

Although it has long been acknowledged that interviewers play a crucial role in the survey data collection process, there is little research concerning interviewer effects on how respondents perceive the interview. We investigate whether interviewer effects exist regarding how much respondents report having enjoyed the interview and whether these effects can be explained by interviewer characteristics. We use data from wave 9 of the German Family Panel pairfam, combined with data from an interviewer survey conducted prior to this wave. Applying multilevel models, we find large interviewer effects that can be explained only partly by interviewers’ sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes, and behavior. Interviewers’ gender, intrinsic work motivation, and their attitude toward respondents significantly affect how much respondents enjoy the interview.