Abstract
This study compares results from surveys using two modes of administration. A subset of questions from the 1992Texas Crime Poll, a statewide poll conducted annually by mail, was replicated in telephone interviews using the Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing System. The phone survey yielded better participation rates but less complete responses to individual attitude questions than did the mail poll. As expected, the mail survey was less expensive but less efficient than the automated phone survey. The central finding was that all but one of the responses to five attitude questions difered significantly across the surveys. The samples differed in their demographic composition, but this did not explain differences in the substantive findings from the mail and phone surveys. The discussion considers alternative explanations for differences in the findings from the two surveys and suggests direction for further comparative research.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alwin, D., and Hauser, R. M. (1975). The decomposition of path effects.Am. Sociol. Rev. 40: 37–47.
Aquilino, W. S., and LoScuito, L. A. (1990). Effects of interview mode on self-reported drug use.Public Opin. Q. 54: 362–395.
Ayidiya, S. F., and McClendon, J. J. (1990) Response effects in mail surveys.Public Opin. Q. 54: 229–247.
Babbie, E. (1989).The Practice of Social Research, 5th ed. Wadsworth, Belmont, CA.
Bell, R. (1984). Intem nonresponse in telephone surveys: An analysis of who fails to report income.Soc. Sci. Q. 65(1): 207–215.
Berry, L. (1983). Residential conservation program impacts: Methods of reducing self-selection bias.Eval. Rev. 7(6): 753–775.
Brennan, M., and Hoek, J. (1992) The behavior of respondents, nonrespondents, and refusers across mail surveys.Public Opin. Q. 56: 530–535.
Campbell, D. T., and Stanley, J. C. (1963).Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Research, Boston, Houghton Mifflin.
Converse, J. M., and Presser, S. (1986).Survey Questions:Handcrafting the Standardized Questionnaire, Sage University Press, Newbury Park.
Cook, T. D., and Campbell, D. T. (1979).Quasi-Experinentation: Design & Analysis Issues for Field Settings. Boston, Houghton Mifflin.
Dillman, D. A. (1978).Mail and Telephone Surveys: The Total Design Method, John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Frankel, M. R., and Frankel, L. R. (1987). Fifty years of survey sampling in the United States.Public Opin. Q. 51: S127-S138.
Goyder, J. C. (1982). Further evidence on factors affecting response rates to mailed questionnaires.Am. Sociol. Rev. 47: 550–553.
Groves, R. M. (1990). Theories and methods of telephone surveys.Annu. Rev. Sociol. 16: 221–240.
Groves, R. M., and Kahn, R. L. (1979).Surveys by Telephone, Academic Press, New York.
Hagan, F. E. (1993).Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology, 2nd ed., Macmillan, New York.
Heberlein, T. A., and Baumgartner, R. (1978). Factors affecting response rates to mailed questionnaires: A quantitative analysis of the published literature.Am. Sociol. Rev. 43(4): 447–462.
Kaplan, H. B. (1989). Methodological problems in the study of psychosocial influences on the AIDS process.Soc. Sci. Med. 29(3): 277–292.
Keating, K. M. (1989). Self selection: Are we beating a dead horse?Eval. Prog. Plan. 12: 137–142.
Kelley, J., and Bean, C. (1988).Australia Attitudes: Social and Political Analyses from the National Social Science Survey, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Kelley, J., and Braithwaite, J. (1990). Public opinion and the death penalty in Australia.Just. Q. 7(3): 530–563.
Miller, D. C. (1977).Handbook of Research Design and Social Measurement, 3rd ed., McKay, New York.
Nederhof, A. J. (1988). Effects of a final telephone reminder and questionnaire cover design in mail surveys.Soc. Sci. Res. 17: 353–361.
Piazza, T. (1993). Meeting the challenge of answering machines.Public Opin. Q. 57: 219–231.
Shultz, S. D., and Luloff, A. E. (1990). The threat of nonresponse bias to survey research.J. Comm. Dev. Soc. 21 (2): 104–115.
Siemiatycki, J. (1979). A comparison of mail telephone, and home interview stategies for household health surveys.Am. J. Public Health 69(3): 238–244.
Stinchcombe, A., Jones, C., and Sheatsley, P. (1981). Nonresponse bias for attitude questions.Public Opin. Q 45: 359–375.
Teske, R. (1982).Texas Crime Poll, Criminal Justice Center, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville.
Texas Department of Public Safety, Records Division (1993). Personal communication by phone, Sept. 23.
Thonberry, O. T., Jr., and Massey, J. T. (1988). Trends in United States telephone coverage across time and subgroups. In Groves, R.,et al. (eds.),Telephone Survey Methodology, John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 25–49.
U.S. Bureau of the Census (1990).Census of Population, General Population Characteristics, Texas, Section 2 of 2. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Farnworth, M., Bennett, K. & West, V.M. Mail vs. telephone surveys of criminal justice attitudes: A comparative analysis. J Quant Criminol 12, 113–133 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02354473
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02354473