ERIC Number: EJ1458396
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1364-5579
EISSN: EISSN-1464-5300
The Association between the Interviewers' and the Respondents' Political Attitudes in a Telephone Survey
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, v28 n1 p43-56 2025
Interviewer effects in telephone surveys on political topics are likely to occur. The literature has yielded considerable evidence about the impact of basic interviewer characteristics, but research is lacking on how interviewers' beliefs may shape responses. This study is aimed at assessing the association between the interviewers' party affiliation and political ideology and the answers provided to the same questions by the respondents, using a large-scale telephone survey conducted in Hungary. The results show that interviewers account for a relatively large amount of variance, especially in the models predicting item-nonresponse. The interviewer's reluctance to answer these questions strongly predicted missing data on the respondent level. On the other hand, only weak interviewer effects were found regarding the valid, substantive responses. The results demonstrate how, for instance, estimations of nonrespondents' party preferences in electoral polls may be biased due to interviewer-related errors, and highlight the need for standardized persuasion strategies.
Descriptors: Interviews, Political Attitudes, Telephone Surveys, Political Issues, Beliefs, Foreign Countries, Error of Measurement, Adults, Responses
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hungary
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A