Interviewer and Respondent Sociodemographic Characteristics, Rapport, and Their Joint Impact on Data Quality in the...

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Survey Methodology

Background:

• Sociodemographic characteristics of interviewers and respondents can influence data quality in face-to-face interviews.
• Interviewer-respondent similarity may enhance rapport, cooperation, and data quality.
• The mediating role of rapport in these relationships, particularly in vulnerable populations, requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the associations between interviewer-respondent sociodemographics, their similarity, and data quality.
• To investigate whether rapport mediates these relationships.
• To analyze these dynamics in a sample including individuals with and without depressive or anxiety disorders.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of baseline data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety.
• Measurement of data quality via item nonresponse and socially desirable responses.
• Assessment of rapport through post-interview evaluations and multilevel regression/mediation analyses.

Main Results:

• Rapport varied with respondent and interviewer age and respondent education level.
• Dissimilarity in age and education negatively impacted rapport.
• Older, male, and higher-educated respondents exhibited higher item nonresponse and socially desirable responses.
• Rapport partially mediated the effect of respondent age on data quality.
• Depressive or anxiety disorders were linked to lower rapport, with depression increasing item nonresponse and disorders decreasing socially desirable responses.

Conclusions:

• Interviewer training in rapport-building is essential for enhancing data quality.
• Particular attention should be paid to rapport with older respondents and those with psychiatric conditions.
• Optimizing interviewer-respondent dynamics can improve the reliability of sensitive data collection.