Interviewer Face Coverings and Response to Personal Visit Surveys: A Case Study of the 2020 U.S. Census

Abstract

The survey research literature has demonstrated how interviewer characteristics can affect cooperation during interviewer-administered surveys. These studies suggest that characteristics such as gender, race/ethnicity, and age may be predictive of a sample respondent’s decision to participate in surveys. At least one other study suggests that what the interviewer is wearing can also impact how respondents behave. Given the controversy of wearing masks in the time of COVID-19, we explore the notion of face coverings worn by enumerators and whether this may influence a household’s decision to participate in the 2020 U.S. Census nonresponse follow-up operation.