Response Burden – Review and Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Concerns about the burden that surveys place on respondents have a long history in the survey field. This article reviews existing conceptualizations and measurements of response burden in the survey literature. Instead of conceptualizing response burden as a one-time overall outcome, we expand the conceptual framework of response burden by positing response burden as reflecting a continuous evaluation of the requirements imposed on respondents throughout the survey process. We specifically distinguish response burden at three time points: initial burden at the time of the survey request, cumulative burden that respondents experience after starting the interview, and continuous burden for those asked to participate in a later round of interviews in a longitudinal setting. At each time point, survey and question features affect response burden. In addition, respondent characteristics can affect response burden directly, or they can moderate or mediate the relationship between survey and question characteristics and the end perception of burden. Our conceptual framework reflects the dynamic and complex interactive nature of response burden at different time points over the course of a survey. We show how this framework can be used to explain conflicting empirical findings and guide methodological research.

Which Scale Direction is More Difficult for Respondents to Use? An Eye-tracking Study

“…Pupil dilation measures complement the usual fixation measures in understanding how respondents process and use response scales. Consequently, the dilation measures have a great potential for question testing and evaluation and are recommended to measure and monitor response burden (Yan and Williams 2022).…”

Sustainable Employability of People with Limited Capability for Work: The Participatory Development and Validation of a Questionnaire

“…In Phase I, the full questionnaire (including informed consent, socio-demographic factors and work-related control variables) was tested and adjusted where necessary, because complex introductions or too many (difficult) items can lead to response burden. Response burden may affect the responses of participants, influencing the validity of the main scales [24]. The items capturing SE, PJ fit and Work-SoC can be found in Supplement A.…”