Switching to self-completion protocols impacts item nonresponse patterns. Lessons from the European Social Survey rounds 9, 10 and 11
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Surveys are pivoting from interviewer-assisted to self-completion protocols, yet the consequences for data quality remain unclear. Guided by the survey satisficing theory, this study examines the COVID–19 partial mode change to self-completion in the European Social Survey Round 10. Out of the 27 countries participating in ESS9, 10 and 11, eight transitioned to self-completion in ESS10, and nineteen maintained interviewer-assisted modes. All 27 countries used interviewer-assisted modes in ESS9 and 11. We analyse item nonresponse on three items with complex response formats and three standard opinion questions with historically high missingness. We use hierarchical Bayesian beta regression to estimate mode effects and expose the divergent effects of mode change. Switching to self-completion markedly increased nonresponse for complex response formats, and a corresponding decline was observed for the standard opinion items. In our interpretation, self-completion fosters strong satisficing behaviour on complex items, yet it results in weak satisficing on opinion items.
Authors: Piotr Jabkowski, Piotr Cichocki, Aneta Piekut
Institutions: Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, University of Sheffield
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7162878799