Asking Questions - The Definitive Guide To Questionnaire Design ...

ASKING STANDARD DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS 273
social desirability bias, and other people systematically underreport
their income. Sometimes this is intentional, and sometimes it happens
because people may not know how much each family member
earns or because they simply forget to report all sources of income.
The U.S. Census Bureau tries to remind respondents of other income
sources, but this detailed and time-consuming questioning
leads to a much higher refusal rate on this topic because of the time
and intrusiveness involved. Currently, as high as 20 percent of respondents
do not answer all parts of detailed income questions. Less
detailed income questions still have 5 to 10 percent of the answers
missing.
We present three versions of the income question. The first is
the detailed version used by the U.S. Census Bureau, which reduces
underreporting but increases nonresponse. The second is a version
using branching that was adapted for telephone interviewing, but is
now widely used in many face-to-face surveys. The third version
is used on self-administered surveys and on some face-to-face surveys
as well.
1a. Did you receive any money in wages, salary, commissions,
bonuses, or tips during (YEAR)?
Yes No
1b. (If Yes): How much did you receive from all jobs before
deductions for taxes or other items?
$
2a. During (YEAR) did you receive any money from own
nonfarm businesses or farm businesses, including
proprietorships and partnerships?
Yes No
2b. (If Yes): How much did you receive? Report net income
after business expenses.
$