In order to gain deeper understanding of the quality of respondents ’ answers in telephone surveys, over the past few years certain graduate students and I explored two complementary lines of inquiry. For survey methodology, our overarching goal

Switchboard, whose partnership in this project has been invaluable. Many organizations and individuals helped contribute to the success of this project. In Chicago we particularly wish to thank Teen Living Programs, Youth Outreach Services, The Broadway Youth Center, Boys ’ Town, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. In L.A., we particularly wish to thank L.A. Youth Networks, Angel’s

Although political scientists have begun to investigate the properties of internet surveys, much remains to be learned about the utility of the internet mode for conducting major survey research projects such as national election studies. This paper addresses this topic by presenting the results of an extensive survey comparison experiment conducted as part of the 2005 British Election Study (BES). Analyses show statistically significant, but generally small, differences in distributions of key explanatory variables in models of turnout and party choice. Estimating model parameters reveals that there are few statistically significant differences between coefficients generated using the in-person and internet data, and the relative explanatory power of rival models is virtually identical for the two types of data. In general, the in-person and internet data tell very similar stories about what matters for turnout and party preference in Britain. Determining if similar findings obtain in other countries should have high priority on the research agenda for national election studies. 2 Does Mode Matter For Modelling Political Choice?

Research on the measurement of subjective well-being (SWB) has escalated in recent years. This study contributes to the literature by examining how SWB reports differ by mode of survey administration. Using data from the 2011 Annual Population Survey in the UK, we find that individuals consistently report higher SWB over the phone compared to face-to-face interviews. We also show that the determinants of SWB differ significantly by survey mode. We must therefore account for mode of administration effects in research into SWB and its determinants.

Copyright © 2012 Adena M. Galinsky et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Objectives. Community processes are key determinants of older adults ’ ability to age in place, but existing scales measuring these constructs may not provide accurate, unbiased measurements among older adults because they were designed with the concerns of child-rearing respondents in mind. This study examines the properties of a new theory-based measure of collective efficacy (CE) that accounts for the perspectives of older residents. Methods. Data come from the population-based Chicago Neighborhood Organization, Aging and Health study (N = 1,151), which surveyed adults aged 65 to 95. Using descriptive statistics, correlations, and factor analysis, we explored the acceptability, reliability, and validity of the new measure. Results. Principal component analysis indicated that the new scale measures a single latent factor. It had good internal consistency reliability, was highly correlated with the original scale, and was similarly associated with neighborhood exchange and disorder, self-rated health, mobility, and loneliness. The new scale also showed less age-differentiated nonresponse compared to the original scale. Discussion. The older adult CE scale has reliability and validity equivalent to that of the existing measure but benefits from a more developed theoretical