Item Nonresponse in Mail Surveys: Extent and Correlates

Item nonresponse, an often overlooked source of error in survey research, arises when a person returns a questionnaire with some questions unanswered. The authors examine the extent and correlates of item nonresponse in a series of marketing research surveys. The principal findings are that the extent of item nonresponse appears to be independent of questionnaire length and to vary systematically with age and education, and that AIO items are less likely to contain item nonresponse bias than other types of questions.