Does Survey Nonresponse Bias Estimates of Religious Service Attendance? Evidence from an Address-Based Sample from the Boston Area

This study investigates what role, if any, nonresponse plays in inflating survey estimates of religious behavior, using a multimode survey designed to allow estimation of nonresponse bias. A sample of 3,000 Boston-area households drawn from an address-based frame was randomly divided into two subsamples, contacted by mail, and invited to participate in a survey. The first subsample was asked to complete an interactive voice response interview. The second subsample was asked to complete a survey by telephone if a number was available for the address or by personal interview if not. Finally, random samples of nonrespondents were recontacted for a personal interview. Comparison of attendance estimates from initial interviews with nonrespondent interviews within sample segments yields minor or minimal differences that are not statistically significant. Findings suggest that the mechanism generating survey nonresponse is unlikely to be a major cause of bias in religious service attendance estimates in this study.