The Distribution of Survey Contact and Participation in the United States: Constructing a Survey-Based Estimate

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Abstract
In this article, the authors show how survey responses to the question “How often have you participated in a survey in the past [specified time period]?” can be used to construct a meaningful estimate of average survey contact and response rates in the population at large, as well as of the distribution of survey responses in the population. That is, the authors show how the nonresponse bias associated with asking people about their prior survey participation can be removed. They propose and validate a simple yet powerful statistical model of survey contact across the U.S. population and of survey response among those contacted. The authors find that survey contact and participation rates are lower than previously assumed and that a small percentage of the population is completing the majority of surveys.