Accession Number:

ADA021387

Title:

An Assessment of Nonresponse Bias in Mail Surveys of Naval Personnel

Descriptive Note:

Final rept. for 1974

Corporate Author:

NAVY PERSONNEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER SAN DIEGO CA

Personal Author(s):

• Broedling, Laurie A.
• Fuller, Carol H.

Report Date:

1976-02-01

Pagination or Media Count:

106.0

Abstract:

The study was aimed at identifying the extent and nature of nonresponse bias in direct surveys of naval personnel. It was also aimed at the determination of whether format of the questionnaire affects response rate. The target population was enlisted, male naval personnel, this being the population with the consistently lowest response rates in direct mail surveys. The approach entailed sending four different questionnaires to two experimental samples over a period of 14 months. The number of questionnaires out of four that each subject sent back was taken to be a measure of his tendency to respond to mail surveys. The main analyses consisted of relating the response proportions of the experimental groups to their demographic and attitudinal characteristics.

Descriptors:

• *RESPONSE
• *SURVEYS
• ATTITUDES(PSYCHOLOGY)
• BIAS
• ENLISTED PERSONNEL
• NAVAL PERSONNEL
• QUESTIONNAIRES

Subject Categories:

• Psychology

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE