THE INFLUENCE OF INTERVIEWER SEX ON RESPONSES TO SENSITIVE QUESTIONS IN NEPAL

This paper examines the effects of interviewer sex on responses as a source of nonsampling error that can be remedied to provide more reliable and valid data from the applications of survey methods in less developed settings. Data from a study in Nepal featuring the random assignment of interviewers to households are used to test several hypotheses regarding the influence of interviewer gender. The focus of these tests is responses to sensitive questions on economic activity and fertility. The results are consistent with the conclusions that interviewer gender does affect responses to some sensitive questions, with male interviewers generally gathering under-reports. © 1991.