Power, Culture and Item Nonresponse in Social Surveys

Abstract

This chapter investigates a set of hypotheses linking dimensions of social status, power, diversity and culture to survey item nonresponse. Cross-national data drawn from 35 countries and 48,720 respondents who participated in the 2016 International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) are examined, along with a series of relevant country-level indicators. These data are analyzed using multilevel mixed-effects negative binomial regression models. Findings support the marginalized group perspective and confirm its generalizability across a broad cross-section of countries. Based on these findings, the authors recommend that questionnaire developers consider the different motivations for item nonresponse and work to design their instruments to better encourage responses from members of marginalized groups.