February 5, 2025

SOEP Brown Bag Seminar

Do talk money – Reducing income nonresponse in surveys (with Katharina Allinger)

Date

February 5, 2025
12:30-13:30

Location

Karl Popper Room
DIW Berlin
Room 2.3.020
Mohrenstr. 58
10117 Berlin

Speakers

Melanie Koch, Oesterreichische Nationalbank

Item nonresponse is a common issue in surveys. We implement an experiment to reduce nonresponse to income questions in an international household survey, looking at four different countries. Survey respondents are asked to report their exact household income. We randomize those who refuse to answer into two groups. In a follow-up question, the control group is asked to choose their income from a very granular list of brackets, the treatment group receives only three options to choose from. In all four countries, the treatment leads to a significant decrease in nonresponse. Thus, when condensed income data are sufficient, fewer answer options are a cost-effective way to reduce nonresponse.

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