Which of the following situations could cause bias in the results of a telephone survey?
A)A phone number in the sample was found to be 'not in service' or 'disconnected'.
B)The person who answered the phone refused to participate.
C)There was no answer, so the interviewer gave up and called someone else.
D)Each of the above would cause bias in the results.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

All three situations listed above could cause bias in the results of a telephone survey. If a phone number is 'not in service' or 'disconnected', it may indicate that the household or person is no longer reachable by phone and may not be included in the survey. If the person who answers the phone refuses to participate, it introduces selection bias as those who agree to participate may differ in some way from those who do not. If the interviewer gives up and calls someone else, it may result in underrepresentation of certain groups who are less likely to answer the phone, such as younger individuals or those who are not home during the day. All of these situations can lead to biased survey results.

Which of the Following Situations Could Cause Bias in the Results