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Published in: Social Indicators Research 3/2019

09-03-2018

Social Indicators to Explain Response in Longitudinal Studies

Authors: Annamaria Bianchi, Silvia Biffignandi

Published in: Social Indicators Research | Issue 3/2019

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Abstract

Economic and social studies use longitudinal panels to estimate change in variables and aggregates of interest. Attrition in such studies may threaten the validity of the estimates from the panels. This study deepens the knowledge on attrition making reference to three waves of the UK Household Longitudinal Study. While traditionally participation behaviour in panel surveys has been mostly studied with reference to socio-demographic variables and not distinguishing different components of the response process, the focus here is on the role of social indicators and personality traits in explaining contact and cooperation, beyond demographic variables. Findings show that some indicators of community attachment affect the likelihood of making contact with members of the panel and indicators of social participation are significant in explaining cooperation given contact. Personality factors and well-being related variables turn out not to be significant factors.

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Footnotes
1
Constant respondents are defined as panel members who responded at every wave from Time 1 to Time 4, intermittent respondents are those who responded to any two or three waves including Time 1, explicit withdrawals refer to those who actively withdrew from the study at any time following Time 1, and lost respondents are panel members who have not responded following Time 1, but not explicity withdrawn.
 
2
Education is coded into the following classes: Degree (that corresponds to tertiary education, Bachelor, Master, or Doctoral degree—ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education) 5, 6, 7, or 8), A-level etc. (upper secondary education or post-secondary non-tertiry education—ISCED 3 or 4), GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) etc. (secondary education—ISCED 2 or 3), other qualifications, and no qualification. See UNESCO (2012).
 
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Metadata
Title
Social Indicators to Explain Response in Longitudinal Studies
Authors
Annamaria Bianchi
Silvia Biffignandi
Publication date
09-03-2018
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Social Indicators Research / Issue 3/2019
Print ISSN: 0303-8300
Electronic ISSN: 1573-0921
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-018-1874-7

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