Interviewer Neutrality

Interviewer neutrality occurs when an interviewer provides no indication of desired responses (remains unbiased) during the interview process. Interviewers are trained to betray no opinion about survey questions to minimize interviewer-related error that occurs when responses are influenced by respondent perception of what the interviewer indicates is an appropriate answer. The process of collecting data using interviewers is designed to obtain valid information (i.e. a respondent's accurate responses), but to be effective the information must be collected in a consistent and neutral manner that minimizes bias. Neutral administration of surveys requires the training of interviewers to not reveal their own opinions or preferences, either verbally or nonverbally, which could induce respondents to provide inaccurate answers in response to perceived interviewer preferences. Specifically, rapport-building behaviors, interviewer ...