Item Non-response on Income and Wealth Questions
Riphahn RT, Serfling O (2005)
Publication Language: English
Publication Type: Journal article, Original article
Publication year: 2005
Journal
Publisher: Springer Verlag (Germany)
Book Volume: 30
Pages Range: 521-538
Journal Issue: 2
Abstract
This study investigates the mechanisms determining item non-response focusing on three issues: First, is there significant heterogeneity in item non-response across financial questions and in the association of covariates with item non-response across outcomes? Second, can the informational value of surveys be improved by matching interviewers and respondents based on their characteristics? Third, how does offering a "don't know" answer option affect respondent behavior? The questions are answered based on detailed survey and interviewer data from the German Socioeconomic Panel using a broad set of income and wealth outcomes. We find considerable heterogeneity in non-response across financial items, little explanatory power of interviewer-respondent matches and strong evidence that "don't know" answers result from mechanisms that differ from those yielding valid responses and outright refusals to respond.
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Switzerland (CH)How to cite
APA:
Riphahn, R.T., & Serfling, O. (2005). Item Non-response on Income and Wealth Questions. Empirical Economics, 30(2), 521-538.
MLA:
Riphahn, Regina Therese, and Oliver Serfling. "Item Non-response on Income and Wealth Questions." Empirical Economics 30.2 (2005): 521-538.
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