Profiling of Non-respondents in Public Polls and Social Surveys:Sample Bias Analyzed by a “Trust Scale”

Abstract

This paper is an essay on nonrespondent bias in statistical random sampling surveys. In particular, it focuses on the personalities of respondents and nonrespondents in survey cooperation. First, I review previous relevant research on nonrespondent bias and outline the main points of the nonrespondent bias problem. Next, focusing on items related to interpersonal trust, I analyze personality differences between cooperative and non-cooperative respondents using time series data from the Japanese National Character Survey and its related surveys. I then present rules of thumb that may be useful for survey researchers dealing with nonrespondent bias. Finally, I discuss future issues. Particular mention will be made of social disparities in electoral voting and polling, i.e., people who tend to drop out of electoral voting and polling.