Cultural Variations in the Effect of Interview Privacy and the Need for Social Conformity on Reporting Sensitive Information

Mneimneh Zeina M. (), Tourangeau Roger (), Pennell Beth-Ellen (), Heeringa Steven G. () and Elliott Michael R. ()
Additional contact information
Mneimneh Zeina M.: University of Michigan - Survey Research Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, U.S.A.
Tourangeau Roger: Westat, 1600 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20850, U.S.A.
Pennell Beth-Ellen: University of Michigan - Survey Research Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, U.S.A.
Heeringa Steven G.: University of Michigan - Survey Research Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, U.S.A.
Elliott Michael R.: University of Michigan - School of Public Health, Dept. of Biost., M4041 SPH II, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, U.S.A.

Journal of Official Statistics, 2015, vol. 31, issue 4, 673-697

Abstract: Privacy is an important feature of the interview interaction mainly due to its potential effect on reporting information, especially sensitive information. Here we examine the effect of third-party presence on reporting both sensitive and relatively neutral outcomes. We investigate whether the effect of third-party presence on reporting sensitive information is moderated by the respondent’s need for social conformity and the respondent’s country of residence. Three types of outcomes are investigated: behavioral, attitudinal, and relatively neutral health events. Using data from 22,070 interviews and nine countries in the cross-national World Mental Health Survey Initiative, we fit multilevel logistic regression to study reporting effects on questions about suicidal behavior and marital ratings, and contrast these with questions about having high blood pressure, asthma, or arthritis. We find that there is an effect of third-party presence on reporting sensitive information and no effect on reporting of neutral information. Further, the effect of the interview privacy setting on reporting sensitive information is moderated by the need for social conformity and the cultural setting.

Keywords: Privacy; cultural variability; interview variability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1515/jos-2015-0040 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:offsta:v:31:y:2015:i:4:p:673-697:n:8

DOI: 10.1515/jos-2015-0040

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Official Statistics is currently edited by Annica Isaksson and Ingegerd Jansson

More articles in Journal of Official Statistics from Sciendo
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Peter Golla ().