What is nonresponse bias, and why is it important? Give two examples of why this might be important—at least one of which was not mentioned in the text.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Nonresponse rate is simply a numerical statement of the number of people who did not respond. Nonresponse bias occurs when those who do not respond are different from those who do respond on one or more characteristics that are important to your study. When conducting research with an undergraduate population, the researcher can look up the demographics of the student population. By doing so, the researcher can determine if the sample mirrors the university population. If not, there is a problem. Two examples might include gender and major. Not only are undergraduates the most commonly researched population, psychology majors are the most commonly researched population. There is no doubt that psychology majors differ from the rest of the college campus in some ways. They are often more people-oriented and less math-oriented. They are also more likely to be more female. Even among psychology majors, males are less likely to respond than females for other reasons. As researchers, we need to be aware of differences between people who participate in our studies and those who do not—and try to do something about it.