The Decision to Participate in Social Surveys: The Case of the Arab Minority in Israel--An Application of the Theory of Reasoned Action

Abstract

This study suggests a general theoretical framework for explaining the decision to participate in surveys, and tests its applicability to the Arab minority in Israel. The theory of reasoned action is proposed as a conceptual framework that can explain the willingness of respondents to participate in surveys. Although the model tested here refers to a specific population (Israeli Arabs), a specific topic (coexistence) and a specific context (a deeply divided society), it is proposed as a theoretical framework that can be applied to the understanding of different aspects of survey behavior among different populations. A reasoned action model for predicting survey response intention among the Arab minority was validated in two face-to-face representative surveys in 2002 (N = 688) and in 2003 (N = 701). The basic structure of the model, postulating that attitude and subjective norm are the direct determinants of behavioral intention with behavioral beliefs as antecedents of the attitude, was supported in both studies.