Estimating Residency Rates for Undetermined Telephone Numbers

The method for estimating residency rates in random digit dial(RDD) telephone surveys is important for computing responserates. This article reviews existing methods of estimating residencyrates and introduces a new "survival" method that takes advantageof more information to provide improved estimates. Examplesof applying this to large RDD samples are given along with suggestionsfor use of the method in other surveys.     

ASSIMILATION AND CONTRAST EFFECTS IN PART-WHOLE QUESTION SEQUENCES: A CONVERSATIONAL LOGIC ANALYSIS

A theoretical model of the emergence of assimilation and contrasteffects in part-whole question sequences is presented. Whenone specific question precedes a general question and the twoare not assigned to the same conversational context, respondentsuse the information primed by the specific question to formthe general judgment. This results in part-whole assimilationeffects. If both questions are perceived as belonging to gether,however, conversational norms of nonredundancy prohibit therepeated use of information that has already been provided inresponse to the specific question when making the general judgment.Accordingly, respondents interpret the general question to referto aspects other than the ones covered by the specific question.Contrast effects may emerge in that case under specified conditions.If several specific questions precede the general question,however, the general one is always interpreted as a requestfor a summary judgment. This results in assimilation effects,even under conditions that would foster contrast effects ifonly one specific question is asked. The model is supportedby experimental data and provides a coherent account of apparentlycontradictory findings previously reported in the survey literature.     

Response Scales: Effects of Category Range on Reported Behavior and Comparative Judgments

Effects of the range of response categories provided in a closedanswer format on behavioral reports and subsequent judgmentswere explored. Respondents reported their daily use of televisionalong a scale that either ranged from "up to a half hour" "tomore than two and a half hours" or ranged from "up to two anda half hours" to "more than four and a half hours." The formersubjects reported less use of television than the latter andestimated the average use of TV to be lower. Moreover, the formersubjects evaluated TV to be more important in their lives (Experiment1) and reported less satisfaction with the variety of theirleisure-time activities (Experiment 2). These results indicatethat subjects inferred the average amount of television watchingfrom the response alternatives provided them and used it asa standard of comparison in evaluating their behavior and itsimplications.