Less Supervision, More Satisficing? Comparing Completely Self-Administered Web-Surveys and Interviews Under Controlled Conditions

Although online surveys are becoming more and more prominent, the quality of the resulting data is still contested. One potential caveat of web surveys is the absence of an interviewer who controls the interview situation, can motivate respondents and prevent them from satisficing, i.e. answering questions with minimal cognitive effort. While there is evidence for differences between data gathered in interviewer-administered surveys and data from self-administered questionnaires, it has not yet been studied whether the sheer presence of an interviewer affects data quality. The present article addresses this research gap. Based on a recent panel study of young unemployed adults, we compare the results from a completely self-administered web survey with those from interviews which were self-administered but conducted in the presence of an interviewer. In particular, we look for differences concerning drop-out, speed, item-non-response, and item-non-differentiation. While we do find significant differences in drop-out rates, we do not find any evidence for interviewer-absence leading to less diligence in filling in the questionnaire. We thus conclude that the presence of an interviewer does not enhance data quality for self-administered questionnaires, but positively affects completion rates.