The Effect of Rapport on Data Quality in Face-to-Face Interviews: Beneficial or Detrimental?

Melany Horsfall, Merijn Eikelenboom, Stasja Draisma and Johannes H. Smit
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Melany Horsfall: Department of Research and Innovation, GGZ inGeest, Specialized Mental Health Care, 1081 HJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Merijn Eikelenboom: Department of Research and Innovation, GGZ inGeest, Specialized Mental Health Care, 1081 HJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Stasja Draisma: Department of Research and Innovation, GGZ inGeest, Specialized Mental Health Care, 1081 HJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Johannes H. Smit: Department of Research and Innovation, GGZ inGeest, Specialized Mental Health Care, 1081 HJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 20, 1-10

Abstract: The benefits of rapport between interviewers and respondents, in terms of recruiting the latter and motiving them to participate in research, have been generally endorsed. However, there has been less clarity with regard to the association between rapport and data quality. In theory, rapport could be beneficial if it motivates people to give complete and honest responses. On the other hand, efforts to maintain rapport by exhibiting pleasing and socially desirable behaviour could well be detrimental to data quality. In a large longitudinal epidemiological sample, generalized estimating equations (GEE) analyses were used to examine the association between rapport and the following three quality indicators: missing responses, responses to sensitive questions, and consistency of responses. The results of these analyses indicate an association between a high level of rapport and fewer missing responses. In contrast, we found more socially desirable responses for the high-rapport group. Finally, the high-rapport group did not differ from the low-rapport group in terms of the consistency of their responses.

Keywords: rapport; data quality; missing responses; socially desirable; consistency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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