Frederick Conrad | Survey Research Center

Research Professor, Survey Research Center, Program Director, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, Professor of Psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Information, School of Information

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Biography

Dr. Conrad is a survey methodologist whose recent work has focused on respondents’ understanding of survey questions. He also studies biases in respondents’ judgments about the frequency of their behaviors, the effect of automatic progress feedback on respondents’ willingness to continue filling out a questionnaire, and the decision to participate in a survey among potential respondents.

Projects

Funded Research

Doctoral Dissertation Research: Memory Bookmarking: An Approach to Improve Recall in Surveys

Publications

West,Brady T.; Conrad,Frederick G.; Kreuter,Frauke and Mittereder,Felicitas (2018). Can Conversational Interviewing Improve Survey Response Quality without Increasing Interviewer Effects?. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A (Statistics in Society), 181(1), 181-203.
Liu,Mingnan and Conrad,Frederick G. (2018). Where should I Start? on Default Values for Slider Questions in Web Surveys. Social Science Computer Review.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Corey,Jason; Goldstein,Samantha; Ostrow,Joseph and Sadowsky,Michael (2018). Extreme Re-Listening: Songs People Love . . . and Continue to Love. Psychology of Music.
Mittereder,Felicitas; Durow,Jen; West,Brady T.; Kreuter,Frauke and Conrad,Frederick G. (2018). Interviewer-Respondent Interactions in Conversational and Standardized Interviewing. Field Methods, 30(1), 3-21.
Antoun,Christopher; Conrad,Frederick G.; Couper,Mick P. and West,Brady T. (2018). Simultaneous Estimation of Multiple Sources of Error in a Smartphone-Based Survey. Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology.
Horwitz,Rachel; Kreuter,Frauke and Conrad,Frederick G. (2017). Using Mouse Movements to Predict Web Survey Response Difficulty. Social Science Computer Review, 35(3), 388-305.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Schober,Michael F.; Antoun,Christopher; Yan,H. Y.; Hupp,Andrew L.; Johnston,Michael; Ehlen,Patrick; Vickers,Lucas and Zhang,Chan (2017). Respondent Mode Choice in a Smartphone Survey. Public Opinion Quarterly, 81, 307-337.
Liu,Mingnan; Conrad,Frederick G. and Lee,Sunghee (2017). Comparing Acquiescent and Extreme Response Styles in Face-to-Face and Web Surveys. Quality & Quantity, 51(2), 941-958.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Tourangeau,Roger; Couper,Mick P. and Zhang,Chan (2017). Reducing Speeding in Web Surveys by Providing Immediate Feedback. Survey Research Methods, 11(1), 45-61.
Tourangeau,Roger; Sun,Hanyu; Conrad,Frederick G. and Couper,Mick P. (2017). Examples in Open-Ended Survey Questions. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 29(4), 690-702.
Antoun,Christopher; Couper,Mick P. and Conrad,Frederick G. (2017). Effects of Mobile Versus PC Web on Survey Response Quality: A Crossover Experiment in a Probability Web Panel. Public Opinion Quarterly, 81, 280-306.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Schober,Michael F.; Antoun,Christopher; Hupp,Andrew L. and Yan,H. Y. (2017). Text Interviews on Mobile Devices. Total Survey Error in Practice, 299-318. In Biemer,Paul P.; De Leeuw,Edith D.; Eckman,Stephanie; Edwards,Brad; Kreuter,Frauke; Lyberg,Lars E.; Tucker,Clyde and West,Brady T. (Ed.), Total Survey Error in Practice. John Wiley & Sons
West,Brady T.; Conrad,Frederick G.; Kreuter,Frauke and Mittereder,Felicitas (2017). Nonresponse and Measurement Error Variance among Interviewers in Standardized and Conversational Interviewing. Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology.
Burkill,Sarah; Copas,Andrew; Couper,Mick P.; Clifton,Soazig; Prah,Philip; Datta,Jessica; Conrad,Frederick G.; Wellings,Kaye; Johnson,Anne M. and Erens,Bob (2016). Using the Web to Collect Data on Sensitive Behaviours: A Study Looking at Mode Effects on the British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles. Plos One, 11(2), e0147983.
Zhang,Chan and Conrad,Frederick G. (2016). Intervening to Reduce Satisficing Behaviors in Web Surveys: Evidence from Two Experiments on how it Works. Social Science Computer Review.
Antoun,Christopher; Zhang,Chan; Conrad,Frederick G. and Schober,Michael F. (2016). Comparisons of Online Recruitment Strategies for Convenience Samples: Craigslist, Google AdWords, Facebook, and Amazon Mechanical Turk. Field Methods, 28(3), 231-246.
Liu,Mingnan and Conrad,Frederick G. (2016). An Experiment Testing Six Formats of 101-Point Rating Scales. Computers in Human Behavior, 55(Part A), 364371.
Schober,Michael F.; Pasek,Josh; Guggenheim,Lauren; Lampe,Cliff and Conrad,Frederick G. (2016). Social Media Analyses for Social Measurement. Public Opinion Quarterly, 80(1), 180-211.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Couper,Mick P. and Sakshaug,Joseph W. (2016). Classifying Open-Ended Reports: Factors Affecting the Reliability of Occupation Codes. Journal of Official Statistics, 32(1), 75-92.
Liu,Mingnan; Conrad,Frederick G. and Lee,Sunghee (2016). Comparing Acquiescent and Extreme Response Styles in Face-to-Face and Web Surveys. Quality & Quantity, 51(2), 941-958.
Horwitz,Rachel; Kreuter,Frauke and Conrad,Frederick G. (2016). Using Mouse Movements to Predict Web Survey Response Difficulty. Social Science Computer Review, 35(3), 388-405.
Schober,M. F.; Conrad,Frederick G.; Antoun,C.; Ehlen,P.; Fail,S.; Hupp,A. L.; Johnston,M.; Vickers,L.; Yan,H. Y. and Zhang,C. (2015). Precision and Disclosure in Text and Voice Interviews on Smartphones. PloS One, 10(6), e0128337.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Schober,Michael F.; Jans,Matt; Orlowski,Rachel A.; Nielsen,Daniel and Levenstein,Rachel (2015). Comprehension and Engagement in Survey Interviews with Virtual Agents. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1578.
Schober,Michael F. and Conrad,Frederick G. (2015). Improving Social Measurement by Understanding Interaction in Survey Interviews. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2(1), 211-219.
Liu,Mingnan; Lee,Sunghee and Conrad,Frederick G. (2015). Comparing Extreme Response Styles between Agree-Disagree and Item-Specific Scales. Public Opinion Quarterly, 79(4), 952-975.
Tourangeau,Roger; Conrad,Frederick G.; Couper,Mick P. and Ye,Cong (2014). The Effects of Providing Examples in Survey Questions. Public Opinion Quarterly, 78, 100-125.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Schober,Michael F. and Schwartz,Norbert (2014). Pragmatic Processes in Survey Interviewing. 1-20. In Holtgraves,Thomas M. (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Language and Social Psychology. Oxford University Press:New York.
Erens,B.; Burkill,S.; Couper,Mick P.; Conrad,Frederick G.; Clifton,S.; Tanton,C.; Phelps,A.; Datta,J.; Mercer,C. H.; Sonnenberg,P.; Prah,P.; Mitchell,K. R.; Wellings,K.; Johnson,A. M. and Copas,A. J. (2014). Nonprobability Web Surveys to Measure Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes in the General Population: A Comparison with a Probability Sample Interview Survey. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(12), e276.
Freedman,Vicki A.; Conrad,Frederick G.; Cornman,J.; Schwarz,N. and Stafford,Frank P. (2014). Does Time Fly when You are having Fun? A Day Reconstruction Method Analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15(3), 639-655.
Zhang,Chan and Conrad,Frederick G. (2013). Speeding in Web Surveys: The Tendency to Answer very Fast and its Association with Straightlining. Survey Research Methods, 8(2), 127-135.
Tourangeau,Roger; Couper,Mick P. and Conrad,Frederick G. (2013). “Up Means Good”: The Effect of Screen Position on Evaluative Ratings in Web Surveys. Public Opinion Quarterly, 77(S1), 69-88.
Freedman,Vicki A.; Stafford,Frank P.; Schwarz,Norbert and Conrad,Frederick G. (2013). Measuring Time use of Older Couples: Lessons from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Field Methods, 25(4), 405-422.
Couper,Mick P.; Tourangeau,Roger; Conrad,Frederick G. and Zhang,Chan (2013). The Design of Grids in Web Surveys. Social Science Computer Review, 31(3), 322-345.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Broome,Jessica S.; Benkí,José R.; Kreuter,Frauke; Groves,Robert M.; Vannette,David and McClain,Colleen (2013). Interviewer Speech and the Success of Survey Invitations. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A: Statistics in Society, 176(1), 191-210.
Tourangeau,Roger; Conrad,Frederick G. and Couper,Mick P. (2013). The Science of Web Surveys. Oxford:Oxford University Press.
Freedman,Vicki A.; Broome,J.; Conrad,Frederick G. and Cornman,J. C. (2013). Interviewer and Respondent Interactions and Quality Assessments in a Time Diary Study. Electronic International Journal of Time use Research, 10(1), 55-75.
Lind,Laura H.; Schober,Michael F.; Conrad,Frederick G. and Reichert,Heidi (2013). Why do Survey Respondents Disclose More when Computers Ask the Questions?. Public Opinion Quarterly, 77(4), 888-935.
Schober,Michael F.; Conrad,Frederick G.; Dijkstra,Wil and Ongena,Yfke P. (2012). Disfluencies and Gaze Aversion in Unreliable Responses to Survey Questions. Journal of Official Statistics, 28(4), 555-582.
Brown,N. R.; Lee,P. J.; Vanderveen,S. A. and Conrad,Frederick G. (2012). Historically-Defined Autobiographical Periods: Their Origins and Implications. In Berntsen,Dorthe and Rubin,David C. (Ed.), Understanding Autobiographical Memory: Theories and Approaches. Cambridge University Press:New York.
Freedman,Vicki A.; Stafford,Frank P.; Schwarz,Norbert; Conrad,Frederick G. and Cornman,Jennifer C. (2012). Disability, Participation, and Subjective Wellbeing among Older Couples. Social Science & Medicine, 74(4), 588-596. Part Special Issue: Men, Masculinities and Suicidal Behaviour.
Freedman,Vicki A.; Stafford,Frank P.; Conrad,Frederick G.; Schwarz,Norbert and Cornman,Jennifer,C. (2012). Assessing Time Diary Quality for Older Couples: An Analysis of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics’ Disability and use of Time (DUST) Supplement. Annals of Economics and Statistics, 105, 271-289.
Conrad,Frederick G. (2011). Response 2 to Miller’s Chapter: Cognitive Interviewing. 93-102. Question Evaluation Methods. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.:Hoboken, NJ.
Yan,Ting; Conrad,Frederick G.; Tourangeau,Roger and Couper,Mick P. (2011). Should I Stay Or should I Go: The Effects of Progress Feedback, Promised Task Duration, and Length of Questionnaire on Completing Web Surveys. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 23(2), 131-147.
Blair,Johnny and Conrad,Frederick G. (2011). Sample Size for Cognitive Interview Pretesting. Public Opinion Quarterly, 75(4), 636-658.
Houle,Christy; Joseph,Christine; Caldwell,Cleopatra H.; Conrad,Frederick G.; Parker,Edith and Clark,Noreen (2011). Congruence between Urban Adolescent and Caregiver Responses to Questions about the Adolescent’s Asthma. Journal of Urban Health, 88(1), 30-40.
Couper,Mick P.; Kennedy,C.; Conrad,Frederick G. and Tourangeau,Roger (2011). Designing Input Fields for Non-Narrative Open-Ended Responses in Web Surveys. Journal of Official Statistics, 27(1), 65-85.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Couper,Mick P.; Tourangeau,Roger and Peytchev,Andrey (2010). The Impact of Progress Indicators on Task Completion. Interacting with Computers, 22(5), 417-427. Modelling User Experience - an Agenda for Research and Practice.
Peytchev,Andrey; Conrad,Frederick G.; Couper,Mick P. and Tourangeau,Roger (2010). Increasing Respondents’ use of Definitions in Web Surveys. Journal of Official Statistics, 26(4), 633-650.
Hanmer,Michael J.; Park,Won-Ho; Traugott,Michael W.; Niemi,Richard G.; Herrnson,Paul S.; Bederson,Benjamin B. and Conrad,Frederick G. (2010). Losing Fewer Votes: The Impact of Changing Voting Systems on Residual Votes. Political Research Quarterly, 63(1), 129-142.
Couper,Mick P.; Singer,Eleanor L.; Conrad,Frederick G. and Groves,Robert M. (2010). Experimental Studies of Disclosure Risk, Disclosure Harm, Topic Sensitivity, and Survey Participation. Journal of Official Statistics, 26(2), 287-300.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Rips,Lance J. and Fricker,S. S. (2009). Seam Effects in Quantitative Responses. Journal of Official Statistics, 25(3), 339-361.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Bederson,Benjamin B.; Lewis,Brian; Peytcheva,Emilia; Traugott,Michael W.; Hanmer,Michael J.; Herrnson,Paul S. and Niemi,Richard G. (2009). Electronic Voting Eliminates Hanging Chads but Introduces New Usability Challenges. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 67(1), 111-124.
Conrad,Frederick G. and Blair,Johnny (2009). Sources of Error in Cognitive Interviews. Public Opinion Quarterly, 73(1), 32-55.
Brown,Norman R.; Lee,Peter J.; Krslak,Mirna; Conrad,Frederick G.; G.B. Hansen,Tia; Havelka,Jelena and Reddon,John R. (2009). Research Report: Living in History: How War, Terrorism, and Natural Disaster Affect the Organization of Autobiographical Memory. Psychological Science, 20(4), 399-405.
Conrad,Frederick G.; Schober,Michael F. and Dijkstra,W. (2008). Cues of Communication Difficulty in Telephone Interviews. 212. In Lepkowski,James M.; Tucker,Clyde; Brick,J. M.; de Leeuw,E. D.; Japec,L.; Lavrakas,P.; Link,M. and Sangster,R. (Ed.), Advances in Telephone Survey Methodology. John Wiley & Sons:New York.
Conrad,Frederick G. and Schober,Michael F. (2008). Envisioning the Survey Interview of the Future. 298. Wiley Series in Survey Methodology. Hoboken, N.J:Wiley-Interscience.
Conrad,Frederick G. and Schober,Michael F. (2008). New Frontiers in Standardized Survey Interviewing. 173. In Hesse-Biber,Sharlene N. and Leavy,Patricia (Ed.), Handbook of Emergent Methods. Guilford Press:New York.
Couper,Mick P. (2008). Technology and the Survey Interview/Questionnaire. 58. In Conrad,Frederick G. and Schober,Michael F. (Ed.), Envisioning the Survey Interview of the Future. Wiley-Interscience:Hoboken, N.J.
Schober,Michael F. and Conrad,Frederick G. (2008). Survey Interviews and New Communication Technologies. In Conrad,Frederick G. and Schober,Michael F. (Ed.), Envisioning the Survey Interview of the Future. Wiley-Interscience:Hoboken, N.J.
Galesic,Mirta; Tourangeau,Roger; Couper,Mick P. and Conrad,Frederick G. (2008). Eye-Tracking Data. Public Opinion Quarterly, 72(5), 892-913.
Herrnson,Paul S.; Niemi,R. G.; Hammer,M. J.; Bederson,B. B.; Conrad,Frederick G. and Traugott,Michael W. (2008). Voting Technology : The Not-so-Simple Act of Casting a Ballot. 215. Washington, D.C:Brookings Institution Press.
Herrnson,Paul S.; Niemi,Richard G.; Hanmer,Michael J.; Francia,Peter L.; Bederson,Benjamin B.; Conrad,Frederick G. and Traugott,Michael W. (2008). Voters’ Evaluations of Electronic Voting Systems: Results from a Usability Field Study. American Politics Research, 36(4), 580-611.
Couper,Mick P.; Singer,Eleanor L.; Conrad,Frederick G. and Groves,Robert M. (2008). Risk of Disclosure, Perceptions of Risk, and Concerns about Privacy and Confidentiality as Factors in Survey Participation. Journal of Official Statistics, 24(2), 255-275.