Tailored Explanation: A Strategy to Minimize Nonresponse in Demographic Items Among Low-Income Racial and Ethnic Minorities

Abstract

There is a high rate of nonresponse for demographic items in survey research, particularly for racial and ethnic minority respondents. This present study examined whether providing an explanation to racial and ethnic minority respondents prior to asking a set of demographic questions would increase respondents’ motivation to reduce nonresponse to gender, income, age, and race items. Using a cross-sectional, randomized comparison design, 99 respondents were randomly assigned to two groups. Group 1 did not receive an explanation for asking the demographic questions. Group 2 received an explanation designed to be relevant and meaningful to them concerning the significance and potential use of demographic information for racial and ethnic minority populations. A proportional difference test was used to calculate the differences in the proportion of respondents’ motivation to complete demographic survey items between the groups. A proportional difference effect size (Cohen’s h effect size) was used to determine the magnitude of difference between the two groups. Over 50% of respondents were African Americans. While none of the item non-responses for both groups is statistically significant in terms of proportional differences, there is small (Cohen’s h= 0.184) to moderate (Cohen’s h=0.342) effect in reducing demographic item non-response when an explanation was provided to respondents. Specifically, adding an explanation made the biggest improvement in reporting income. The study findings support the importance of providing participants with an explanation that is relevant and meaningful to increase motivation and thereby minimize item nonresponse.

Impact of demographic survey questions on response rate and measurement: A randomized experiment

“…When detailed frame data are not available to describe respondents, self-report is needed to understand respondent characteristics. However, some demographic questions are largely recognized as sensitive (Tourangeau and Yan 2007) and may be left unanswered due to confidentiality concerns or the perception that the question is threatening or difficult to answer (Lor et al 2017). Furthermore, respondents may choose to skip the entire survey due to confidentiality concerns (Singer, Hippler, and Schwarz 1992).…”

“…Researchers have attempted to attenuate the sensitive nature of demographic questions using a variety of methods, for example, by stating the purpose of collecting demographic items, placing demographic questions at the end of the survey (Lor et al 2017), or assuring respondent confidentiality (Singer, Hippler, and Schwarz 1992). However, the impact of whether and how demographic questions are asked on response rates and other data quality measures is largely unstudied.…”

Why Patients with Chronic Disease Keep Silent? Analysis of Item Nonresponse in Rural China

“…Previous studies indicated that individuals with low education levels would remain silent because of insufficient capability to understand (19), which is common in the current study. Therefore, more information is needed to support them in the survey (20).…”

Heterogeneous skill distribution and college major: evidence from PIAAC

“…The decision to response or not is affected by other unobserved characteristics. People who are in a lower social position, with a lower educational attainment, female, African American, or older in age have higher item nonresponse rate (Lor, Bowers, Krupp, & Jacobson, 2017;Ross & Reynolds, 1996). Beatty and Herrmann (2002) suggest that other cognitive and motivational factors also contribute to the income nonresponse, such as cognitive ability to remember and retrieve relevant information to report, judgment of the level of precision required by the survey and one's willingness to answer.…”