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Explaining Unit Nonresponse in Online Panel Surveys: An Application of the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior 1
Author(s) -
HAUNBERGER SIGRID
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2011.00856.x
Subject(s) - theory of planned behavior , explanatory power , psychology , social psychology , unit (ring theory) , control (management) , panel data , perceived control , moral obligation , norm (philosophy) , econometrics , computer science , economics , philosophy , mathematics education , epistemology , political science , law , artificial intelligence
Unit nonresponse is a critical issue in survey methodology. The purpose of this paper is to understand better the mechanisms that underlie unit nonresponse; i.e., the individual's decision to participate in online panel surveys. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the determinants of unit nonresponse are one's attitude toward participating in online panel surveys, the subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. Using a student sample at the University of Berne ( N = 308), our results show only a marginal effect of the intention to predict participation behavior, and no effect was found for perceived behavioral control. Instead, additional explanatory variables (e.g., moral obligation, frequency of past behavior) led to a better explanatory power of the TPB.