In September 2007, U.S. Census Bureau researchers completed a third pilot study on factors that contribute to gaining cooperation and successfully completing survey interviews. This pilot study was part of a larger effort to systematically study interview dynamics and how they affect respondent cooperation with Census Bureau surveys. The results of this study will add to extant data on two previous pilot studies on gaining cooperation behavior (Beck, Wright, & Petkunas, 2007).

In 2006, we collected data from Program Coordinators, Program Supervisors, and Senior Field Representatives (SFRs) working on (Beck, Wright, & Petkunas, 2007). The current pilot study involved collecting information from a sample of Census Bureau survey interviewers, called Field Representatives (FRs), throughout the United States. Like these other “field” employees, FRs work from one of the twelve Census Bureau Regional Offices, which are responsible for the management of field data collection.