Role of Response Behavior Theory in Survey Research: A Cross-National Study

Abstract

This study examines four theoretical frameworks for explaining survey response behavior and their role in survey research. The results of a survey of 282 research practitioners in Asia-Pacific, North America, and Western Europe show that research practitioners in general are aware and do make use of the theories of cognitive dissonance, commitment and involvement, social exchange, and self-perception. Although the literature indicates that commitment and involvement have been used very little to explain methodological effects, the present study provides evidence to the contrary. A comparison of the results obtained from the three sample groups reveals some significant differences in the research practitioners’ perceptions of why people participate in surveys as well as in the survey design strategies they adopt. There also is evidence that survey design practices are associated with, and perhaps influenced by, the research practitioners’ beliefs about why people participate in surveys.