Effect of Request for Social Security Numbers on Response Rates and Item Nonresponse
Effect of Request for Social Security Numbers on Response Rates and Item Nonresponse
Working Paper Number: SM1992-04
Abstract
This memorandum summarizes findings from the Simplified Questionnaire Test (SQT) that bear
on privacy and confidentiality issues, particularly as these are related to the use of administrative
records. The relevant findings are those concerning the effect of asking for Social Security
Numbers (SSN's) on (l) overall response rate, (2) item nonresponse rates, and (3) respondent
reactions to filling out the census form. The memorandum supplements findings reported by
John H. Thompson (June 24, 1992) and Nancy Bates (June 18, 1992) with analyses of the responses to the debriefing questionnaires.
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Page Last Revised - October 28, 2021