Why are response rates decreasing on surveys?
Non-contact with the sampled respondent and refusal to participate are the two reasons why response rates have fallen across surveys in recent years. Tactics used by survey organisations, such as calling more frequently and at times of the day when people are more likely to be at home, help to reduce non-contact rates. However, the increase in refusal to participate is more difficult. Much of the increase in refusals seems to be attributable to increased reluctance among members of the public to take part in surveys. These general attitudes are hard to change. Instead survey organisations concentrate on the aspects they have some control over, namely how they approach individuals, how interviewers introduce themselves on the doorstep, and how individuals might be persuaded to participate.
