Abstract Book May 18–21, 2017
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May 18–21, 2017 Sheraton New Orleans Abstract Book New Orleans, Louisiana Embracing Change and 72nd Diversity in Public Opinion Annual and Social Research Conference www.aapor.org/conference #AAPOR May 18th, 2017 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Concurrent Session P Poster Session #1 Eye-Tracking Methodology: What Affects the Processing of Agree/Disagree and Item-Specific Questions? Jan Karem Höhne University of Göttingen Timo Lenzner GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences Since Likert’s (1932) well-known article “A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes”, the use of agree/disagree (A/D) questions has become increasingly popular in empirical social research, because it appears to be possible to measure several constructs with a single response format. Fowler (1995), by contrast, argues that using item-specific (IS) questions represents a simpler, more direct, and more informative method than using agree/disagree questions. Until now, this assumption has never been tested empirically. In the current study, we investigate cognitive processing of A/D and IS questions in web surveys using eye-tracking methodology. Recording respondents’ eye movements, we are able to investigate how respondents process the survey questions and response categories to determine their information processing. We conducted an eye-tracking experiment with two groups: the first group (n = 44) received three A/D single questions dealing with different political issues (agree/disagree condition). The second group (n = 40) received three IS counterparts dealing with the same question content (item- specific condition). The results of our investigations indicate that IS questions encourage a deeper cognitive processing than A/D questions. Interestingly, the eye-tracking data reveal that this fact is only observable for the processing of the response categories. There are no differences with respect to the question stems; indicating that “question comprehension” seems to be equal. We therefore argue that the observed differences between these two question formats are directly attributed to a more active and more intensive cognitive processing of the IS response categories. May 18th, 2017 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Concurrent Session P Poster Session #1 Impact of Mixed-Mode Recruitment and Data Collection on Sample Representativeness and Survey Estimates for a Probability-Based Household Panel Dan Malato NORC at the University of Chicago David Sterrett NORC at The University of Chicago Jennifer Benz NORC at the University of Chicago Trevor Tompson NORC at the University of Chicago J. Dennis NORC Vicki Pineau NORC at the Univ of Chicago Nadarajasundaram Ganesh NORC at the University of Chicago Most household panels in the US recruit their samples using the online mode and then also conduct their surveys online. The modes employed for panel recruitment and data collection are the same. In addition to relying on non-probability sampling, such mono-mode household web panels theoretically have at least two shortcomings with respect to sample coverage. First, regarding the mode of recruitment to the panel itself, web-only panels under-represent the fraction of the US population that does not have internet access and under-represents infrequent web users. Second, regarding the mode of data collection for panel-based surveys, web-only panels under-represent the fraction of the population that would prefer to participate in actual surveys by non-web modes, such as by telephone. Using data from NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel surveys (which is based on mixed-mode recruitment and data collection), the authors will document the impact (i) on sample composition from recruiting households by multi-mode methods and (ii) on survey estimates by using multi-mode for specific attitude, knowledge, and opinion surveys. Analyses demonstrate that the use of multi-mode recruitment improves the representativeness of the constituted household panel with respect to boosting sample representativeness for low-income households, Hispanic ethnicity, and seniors. Analyses also demonstrate that panel respondents completing surveys by telephone tend to have less positive views towards science and consumer technology, as well as overall lower scientific literacy. The research provides significant insights into specific ways that providing non-web modes for recruitment and data collection can enhance sample representativeness and influence survey estimates on attitudinal and opinion measures, while also identifying instances of convergence of mono-mode and multi-mode survey estimates. May 18th, 2017 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Concurrent Session P Poster Session #1 Meet the Independents: Using Cluster Analysis to Construct a Typology of Independent Voters Ayellet Pelled University of Wisconsin - Madison Megan Duncan University of Wisconsin - Madison Song Wang University of Wisconsin - Statistics Yin Wu University of Wisconsin - Madison Moonhoon Choi University of Wisconsin - Madison Jiyoun Suk University of Wisconsin - Madison Douglas McLeod University of Wisconsin - Madison Much of the recent research on political party identification has focused on partisan voters and the consequences of political polarization. But independent voters are also an important feature of the political landscape, but far fewer studies have examined them. Too often researchers treat independent voters as a monolithic entity, using a single response category to identify them. But as made clear by the 2016 presidential election, there are vast differences among independent voters. The independent voters who latched onto the Trump movement were different from those with the Sanders movement. The independent voters who occupied the space between the Democratic and Republican parties were very different from those on the far left and far right. Some independents have beliefs that align with the core of a party, but feel that the party has abandoned the party’s core principles (Walter, 2014). Additionally, the number of independent voters is on the rise, and their influence on election outcomes is growing. A recent Gallup poll showed party identification was near all-time-lows while 42 percent of Americans identified as independent (Jones, 2016). With these factors in mind, this study takes a closer look at the values and political attitudes that differentiate independent voters. Data for the analysis were collected using an online survey of 2,582 eligible voters provided by Survey Sampling International, of which 486 people identified as independents, and an additional 544 indicated they were independent but leaned toward one party. These independent voters were divided into clusters based on measures of political values and worldviews (e.g. political interests, political cynicism, political tolerance, authoritarianism, libertarianism, federalism). These clusters were further defined in terms of their demographic characteristics and linked to outcomes such as issue orientations, voting behaviors, and media use patterns. May 18th, 2017 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Concurrent Session P Poster Session #1 Implications of Utilizing Consumer Grade GPS Receivers within a Transportation Research Application Josh DeLaRosa Abt Associates When paired with travel diaries, Global Positioning System (GPS) devices can provide transportation planners and modelers with rich transportation data. The GPS devices offer high resolution spatial and temporal data, which supplement diaries with attitudinal data (e.g., trip purpose). The GPS devices can also minimize the underreporting of trips in a diary by collecting data passively and continually. Common practice in transportation research is to provide respondents with consumer grade GPS devices, equivalent to the chipsets found in smartphones. However, urban canyons, weather and tree canopies can obstruct satellite reception resulting in the deterioration of GPS accuracy (type I and/or type II error). This error could lead ultimately lead to the introduction of error into transportation models. To overcome the deterioration of GPS accuracy, researchers can process the data and filter out suspected erroneous GPS points. To better understand possible measurement error associated with consumer grade GPS devices, this study will test and compare several GPS loggers. This study will also test different methods of processing GPS data. The results of these test may help researchers better predicting conditions leading to GPS measurement error as well as quantifying the limitations and advantages of collecting GPS data within a transportation application. May 18th, 2017 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Concurrent Session P Poster Session #1 The Practice of SMS Survey as Public Opinion Research in Japan Kentaro Watanabe Osaka University Yasuyuki Saito The Asahi Shimbun In this study, we test the SMS (Short Message Service) mode and compare the result with the Asahi Shimbun CPRDD (Cell Phone RDD) data to examine the response tendencies. In Japan, the SMS mode has become available since 2011. We are aware that one market research company conducted the research, however it is not open to the public. In this research, the sample frame is Softbank mobile users. We sent the SMS message to a random-sampled 10,900 numbers and 5,724 received the message. 102 (1.8%) of them accessed the web site and 49 (0.9%) answered. For the CPRDD, 5,500 numbers were sampled and 1,132 (20.6%) answered. The accessing rate and the response rate are different between weekday and weekend. The accessing became stable after 10 hours on weekday, and the accessing rate on weekend