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Challenges in Repeated Survey Measurements

Coordinator 1Mr Tobias Rettig (University of Mannheim)
Coordinator 2Mrs Hannah Schwarz (RECSM-Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Coordinator 3Dr Jan Karem Höhne (University of Mannheim; RECSM-Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

Session Details

Measuring attitudes, opinions, or behaviors of respondents is a very widespread strategy in sociology, political science, economics, and psychology to investigate a variety of individual and social phenomena. Thereby, researchers are frequently not only interested in measuring attitudes, opinions, and behaviors at one single point in time, but over time to investigate how they change and develop. Repeated survey measurements are also of great importance in methodological research to evaluate the measurement quality (i.e., reliability and validity) associated with different question formats and/or survey modes. However, one special problem linked to measurement repetitions in surveys is that subsequent measurements are not independent of prior measurements. For instance, respondents might remember their already given answers, which can affect the parameter estimations.

We invite contributions that are based on experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational study designs investigating the challenges in repeated survey measurements. This includes effects on respondents’ response and completion behavior as well as appropriate strategies to avoid, reduce, or correct for measurement error.

For this session, we especially welcome contributions on the following research areas:
- Cognitive response processes (e.g., information retrieval and memory effects)
- Future perspectives and developments (e.g., web and mobile web surveys)
- Measurement quality (i.e., reliability and validity)
- Survey experience (e.g., trained respondents)
- Survey mode (e.g., web and telephone surveys)
- Replications of empirical studies and findings
- Statistical approaches (e.g., error estimation and correction)
- Theoretical considerations on repeated survey measurements