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Abstract. Most web surveys collect data through nonprobability or opt-in online panels, which are characterized by self-selection. A concern in online research is the emergence of professional respondents, who frequently participate in surveys and are mainly doing so for the incentives. This study investigates if professional respondents can be distinguished in online panels and if they provide lower quality data than nonprofessionals. We analyzed a data set of the NOPVO (Netherlands Online Panel Comparison) study that includes 19 panels, which together capture 90% of the respondents in online market research in the Netherlands. Latent class analysis showed that four types of respondents can be distinguished, ranging from the professional respondent to the altruistic respondent. A profile of professional respondents is depicted. Professional respondents appear not to be a great threat to data quality.

Declining response rates worldwide have stimulated interest in understanding what may be influencing this decline and how it varies across countries and survey populations. In this paper, we describe the development and validation of a short 9-item survey attitude scale that measures three important constructs, thought by many scholars to be related to decisions to participate in surveys, that is, survey enjoyment, survey value, and survey burden. The survey attitude scale is based on a literature review of earlier work by multiple authors. Our overarching goal with this study is to develop and validate a concise and effective measure of how individuals feel about responding to surveys that can be implemented in surveys and panels to understand the willingness to participate in surveys and improve survey effectiveness. The research questions relate to factor structure, measurement equivalence, reliability, and predictive validity of the survey attitude scale. The data came from three probability-based panels: the German GESIS and PPSM panels and the Dutch LISS panel. The survey attitude scale proved to have a replicable three-dimensional factor structure (survey enjoyment, survey value, and survey burden). Partial scalar measurement equivalence was established across three panels that employed two languages (German and Dutch) and three measurement modes (web, telephone, and paper mail). For all three dimensions of the survey attitude scale, the reliability of the corresponding subscales (enjoyment, value, and burden) was satisfactory. Furthermore, the scales correlated with survey response in the expected directions, indicating predictive validity.

Multilevel structural equation modeling (multilevel SEM) has become an established method to analyze multilevel multivariate data. The first useful estimation method was the pseudobalanced method. This method is approximate because it assumes that all groups have the same size, and ignores unbalance when it exists. In addition, full information maximum likelihood (ML) estimation is now available, which is often combined with robust chi‐squares and standard errors to accommodate unmodeled heterogeneity (MLR). In addition, diagonally weighted least squares (DWLS) methods have become available as estimation methods. This article compares the pseudobalanced estimation method, ML(R), and two DWLS methods by simulating a multilevel factor model with unbalanced data. The simulations included different sample sizes at the individual and group levels and different intraclass correlation (ICC). The within‐group part of the model posed no problems. In the between part of the model, the different ICC sizes had no effect. There is a clear interaction effect between number of groups and estimation method. ML reaches unbiasedness fastest, then the two DWLS methods, then MLR, and then the pseudobalanced method (which needs more than 200 groups). We conclude that both ML(R) and DWLS are genuine improvements on the pseudobalanced approximation. With small sample sizes, the robust methods are not recommended.

Recently, the leading position of telephone surveys as the major mode of data collection has been challenged. Telephone surveys suffer from a growing nonresponse, partly due to the general nonresponse trend for all surveys and partly due to changes in society and technology influencing contactability and willingness to answer. One way to counteract the increasing nonresponse is the use of an advance letter. In mail and face-to-face surveys, advance letters have been proven effective. Based on the proven effectiveness in face-to-face and mail surveys, survey handbooks advise the use of advance letters in telephone surveys. This study reviews the evidence for this advice and presents a quantitative summary of empirical studies on the effectiveness of advance letters in raising the response rate for telephone surveys. The major conclusion is that advance letters are also an effective tool in telephone surveys, with an average increase in response rate (RR1) from 58 percent (no letter) to 66 percent (advance letter), and an average increase in cooperation rate (COOP1) from 64 percent (no letter) to 75 percent (advance letter). Adapted from the source document.

En este estudio prospectivo ex post facto se investigó si los síntomas del trastorno por estrés postraumático (TEPT) estaban asociados a un mayor número de problemas de salud física, controlándose las tasas base de los síntomas y las diferencias individuales en neuroticismo. Militares del ejército holandés respondieron cuestionarios estandarizados antes de ser enviados a Irak (n = 479), a los 5 meses (n = 382; 80%) y 15 meses (n = 331; 69%) después de su regreso a casa. Los síntomas fueron evaluados mediante cuestionarios y entrevistas clínicas. Los resultados mostraron que, en promedio, los participantes con TEPT a los 5 meses de su regreso, reportaron más problemas físicos. Los síntomas de TEPT, luego de este tiempo, predecían los síntomas físicos coexistentes, controlándose las variables demográficas, los factores militares, las lesiones sufridas, la exposición a la zona de guerra, los problemas físicos iniciales, los síntomas de TEPT iniciales y el neuroticismo. Al controlar los síntomas de TEPT a los 5 meses, se predecían los problemas físicos a los 15 meses. Los resultados sugieren que el estrés postraumático contribuye a los síntomas físicos. Se recomienda a los clínicos estar alerta ante el TEPT cuando los individuos presenten síntomas físicos.

AbstractThis study examined the effects of daily support exchanges in couples facing multiple sclerosis (MS). Two issues were examined: the imbalance between received and provided support, and the extent to which reciprocal exchanges of received and provided support are associated with end‐of‐day well‐being (positive and negative mood and self‐esteem). Guided by equity theory, we expected that one‐sided support provision or receipt would be harmful for well‐being for both patients and partners. We argued that these negative outcomes could be offset by reciprocating support, that is, when both partners receive and provide support. Sixty‐one patients and their partners filled out questionnaires on demographics and disease‐related characteristics and subsequently completed computerized daily diaries for 14 days. At the end of each day, both partners completed diaries on end‐of‐day mood, self‐esteem, received and provided emotional and instrumental support, and several control variables (daily hassles and MS‐related symptoms for patients). Reciprocity in instrumental support transactions was associated with higher levels of self‐esteem among both patients and partners. However, the other results all showed independent effects of support received and provided. Patients' well‐being was related to providing emotional support and instrumental support, whereas partners' well‐being was related to receiving emotional support from patients.

Bei Telephoninterviews haben Interviewer weitaus weniger Zeit als in face-to-face-Interviews, einen Befragten zur Kooperation zubringen. Da sie ihren Gesprächspartner nur hören können, fehlt es ihnen auch an Informationen, um sich selbst optimal zu verhalten. Gleichwohl verfügen erfahrene Telephoninterviewer über einen Vorrat an taktischen Varianten, die sie einsetzen können. In diesem Beitrag werden Taktiken beschrieben, mit denen sich Antwortverweigerung bekämpfen lässt und die von erfahrenen Telephoninterviewern bei Statistics Netherlands angewandt werden. (ICEÜbers)