EFFECTS OF INTERVIEWERS STYLE AND QUESTION FORM ON THE VALIDITY OF REPORTING AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT INFORMATION

THE STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF QUESTION FORM AND INTERVIEWER STYLE ON THE ACCURACY OF REPORTING AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS IN A HOUSEHOLD INTERVIEW, AND HSRI MASS ACCIDENT DATA WERE UTILIZED AS THE BASIS FOR THE SURVEY POPULATION. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, A "PROFESSIONAL" STYLE INTERVIEW IS SUPERIOR TO AN "INTER-PERSONAL" STYLE INTERVIEW. WHEN THE REPORTING TASK PERTAINED TO ACCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO, THE PROFESSIONAL STYLE INTERVIEW ELICITED GREATER ACCURACY THAN THE INTERPERSONAL STYLE. OVER TIME, THE INTERPERSONAL STYLE CONDITION SHOWED THE EXPECTED DECREASING CURVE IN ACCURACY. NO SUCH DECREASE WAS OBTAINED WITH THE PROFESSIONAL STYLE INTERVIEW. THIS STUDY ALSO PROVIDES SOME EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE ON THE NATURE OF THE INTERVIEWER-RESPONDENT INTERACTION PROCESS WHICH WILL SERVE AS A GUIDELINE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH.

• Authors:
  • Henson, R
  • Cannell, C
  • LAWSON, S
• Publication Date: 1973-8

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 1-11
• Serial:
  • HIT Lab Reports
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue Number: 12
  • Publisher: University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Crash investigation; Crash reports; Interviewing
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222360
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 15 1974 12:00AM