A Description of the German General Social Survey Test-Retest Study and a Report on the Stabilities of the Sociodemographic Variables

Abstract

In this article, a description of the test-retest study as part of the larger 1984 German General Social Survey (ALLBUS) is presented. First, the comparability of the test-retest mirrors the larger ALLBUS study with few exceptions, and an examination of the stability of demographic variables is presented. Although the stability of some of the items was poor (e.g., report of one's own first occupation and father's occupation), most of the other items of central importance to survey recorders (e.g., education or religious identification) had at best minimally acceptable stabilities. The data also show a consistent tendency for the t ₂-t ₃ stabilities to be higher than the t ₁-t ₂ stabilities, a finding that is discussed and for which a possible rationale is presented.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

ARMINGER, G. (1976) “Anlage und Auswertung von Paneluntersuchungen,” pp. 134-235 in K. Holm (ed.) Die Befragung 4. München: Francke.

BISHOP, Y.M.M. , S. E. FIENBERG , and P. W. HOLLAND (1975) Discrete Multivariate Analysis: Theory and Practice. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

BOHRNSTEDT, G. W. (1983) “Measurement,” pp. 69-121 in P. H. Rossi et al. (eds.) Handbook of Survey Research. New York: Academic Press.

BYE, B. B. and E. S. SCHECHTER (1986) “A latent Markov model approach to the estimation of response errors in multiwave panel data.” J. of the Amer. Stat. Assn. 81: 375-380.

CAMPBELL, D. T. and J. C. STANLEY (1966) Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Research. Chicago: Rand McNally.

DOHRENWEND, B. S. (1969) “Interviewer biasing effects: Toward reconciliation of findings.” Public Opinion Q. 33: 121-125.

ESSER, H. (1984) “Determinanten des Interviewer-und Befragtenverhaltens: Probleme der theoretischen Erklärung und empirischen Untersuchung von Interviewereffekten,” pp. 26-71 in K. U. Mayer and P. Schmidt (eds.) Allgemeine Bevölkerungsumfrage der Sozialwissenschaften. Frankfurt/Main, New York: Campus Verlag.

FELDMAN, J. J. , H. HYMAN and C. W. HART (1951) “A field study of interviewer effects on the quality of survey data.” Public Opinion Q. 15: 734-761.

JAGODZINSKI, W. and S. K. KÜHNEL (1987) “The estimation of reliability and stability in metric single indicator multiple wave models.” This Volume.

10.

HEISE, D. R. (1969) “Separating reliability and stability in test-retest-correlation.” Amer. Soc. Rev. 34: 93-101.

11.

HEISE, D. R. and G. W. BOHRNSTEDT (1970) “Validity, invalidity and reliability,” pp. 104-129 in E. F. Borgatta and G. W. Bohrnstedt (eds.) Sociological Methodology 1970. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

12.

HERMANN, D. (1983) “Die priorität von einstellungen und verzerrungen im interview. Eine methodenuntersuchung anhand der daten der allgemeinen bevölkerungsumfrage 1980.” Zeitschrift für Soziologie 12(3): 242-252.

13.

HYMAN, H. H. (1954) Interviewing in Social Research. Chicago: University Press.

14.

KESSLER, R. C. and D. F. GREENBERG (1981) Linear Panel Analysis. Models of Quantitative Change. New York: Academic Press.

15.

KOCH, A. (1985) “Wie zuverlässig lassen sich berufs- und bildungsvariablen messen?” University of Mannheim. (unpublished)

16.

LORD F. M. and M. R. NOVICK (1968) Statistical Theories of Mental Test Scores. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

17.

PORST, R. and P. SCHMIDT (1982) “Analyze ausgewählter MeBinstrumente des ALLBUS 80.” ZUMA Mannheim. (unpublished)

18.

SCHANZ, V. and P. SCHMIDT (1984) “Interviewsituation, interviewermerkmale und reaktionen von befragten im interview: Eine multivariate analyse,” pp. 72-113 in K. U. Mayer and P. Schmidt (eds.) Allgemeine Bevölkerungsumfrage der Sozialwissenschaften. Frankfurt/Main, New York: Campus Verlag.

19.

SIEGEL, P. M. and R. W. HODGE (1968) “A causal approach to the study of measurement error,” pp. 28-59 in H. M. Blalock Jr. and A. B. Blalock (eds.) Methodology in Social Research. New York: Mc Graw-Hill.

20.

SMITH, H. L. and H. H. HYMAN (1950) “The biasing effect of interviewer expectations on survey results.” Public Opinion Q. 14: 491-506.

21.

STEMBER, C. and H. H. HYMAN (1949) “Interviewer effects in the classification of responses.” Public Opinion Q. 13: 669-682.

22.

SUDMAN, S. and N. M. BRADBURN (1974) Responses Effects in Surveys: A review and synthesis. Chicago: Aldine.

23.

VAN DE POL, F. and J. DE LEEUW (1986) “A latent Markov model to correct measurement error.” Soc. Method, and Research.

24.

WILEY, D. E. and J. A. WILEY (1970) “The estimation of measurement error in panel data.” Amer. Soc. Rev. 35: 112-117.

25.

WILLIAMS, A. J., Jr. (1964) “Interviewer respondent interaction: A study of bias in the information interview.” Sociometry 27: 338-352.