© Marek Fuchs, Universität Kassel The Video-Enhanced Web Survey Data Quality and Cognitive Processing of Questions Marek Fuchs University of Kassel, Germany

Humanizing Elements in Survey Data Collection © Marek Fuchs, Universität Kassel

Introduction  Layout kept constant  Same location for text and video  Response scale identical

Social Interface Theory  „Computers as social actors” (Reeves & Nass, 1997) Respondents ascribe social properties to computers React to questions administered by computers similarly to interviews with human interviewers.  Hypotheses Higher levels of social presence More pronounced social desirability Increased underreporting of sensitive information © Marek Fuchs, Universität Kassel

Survey Methods Research  Survey methodology AV-CASI: More positive responses to sensitive questions (Katz et al., 2007) AV-CASI: Less contaminated by social desirability (Gerich, 2007) Web surveys: marginal effects of humanizing elements (Couper, Tourangeau, & Steiger, 2003)  Hypotheses Anthropomorphizing elements increase respondents‘ motivation and involvement Audio-visual channel will promote comprehensive question understanding Increased reporting © Marek Fuchs, Universität Kassel

Methods  Universe Student online access panel at the University of Kassel, Germany  Sample N = (880 for this experiment) Response rate (within the panel): 49%  Field work Summer 2007, invitation and 2 reminders Incentive: lottery drawing of book vouchers  Experiment Text vs. video/male vs. female Between subjects design  Fuchs/Funke 2007, 2008

Results © Marek Fuchs, Universität Kassel

Results © Marek Fuchs, Universität Kassel

Structural Equation Models for Text vs. Video  Text-based version Negative effect -Social presence -Social desirability Positive effect -Question understanding -Flow  Video-enhanced version No effect -Social desirability -Question understanding Positive Effect -Social presence -Flow © Marek Fuchs, Universität Kassel

Summary  Video version vs. text version Social presence lower in video version Social desirability does not differ Message understanding does not differ Slightly higher flow in the video version

Summary  Video and text version yield similar results No overall differences for sensitive behaviors  However, the cognitive processes differ Text version -Social presence and social desirability promote underreporting -Question understanding and flow increases reporting Video version -Social presence and flow increase reporting -Social desirability and message understanding have no effect © Marek Fuchs, Universität Kassel

Discussion  Implications It is not only the visual presence of the interviewer It is also the communicative channel used to convey the question meaning  Caveats Student population restricts generalization Backchannel is keyboard and mouse only  Next steps More active interviewer behavior Heterogeneity of interviewer „Choose your interviewer“

© Marek Fuchs, Universität Kassel End Thank you! Marek Fuchs University of Kassel, Germany