Respondent fatigue in self-report victim surveys: Examining a source of nonsampling error from three perspectives

• Main Author: Hart, Timothy C
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholar Commons 2006
• Subjects: National Crime Victimization Survey; Fatigue bias; Nonresponse; Survey research; Research methods; American Studies; Arts and Humanities
• Online Access: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/2551; http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3550&context=etd

Survey research is a popular methodology used to gather data on a myriad of phenomena. Self-report victim surveys administered by the Federal government are used to substantially broaden our understanding of the nature and extent of crime. A potential source of nonsampling error, respondent fatigue is thought to manifest in contemporary victim surveys, as respondents become "test wise" after repeated exposure to survey instruments. Using a special longitudinal data file, the presence and influence of respondent fatigue in national self-report victim surveys is examined from three perspectives. Collectively, results provide a comprehensive look at how respondent fatigue may impact crime estimates produced by national self-report victim surveys.