Proxy Respondent

If a respondent reports on the properties or activities of another person or group of persons (e.g. an entire household or a company), the respondent is said to be a proxy respondent. In some cases, proxy responses may be a part of the design of the survey. In the U.S. Current Population Survey, for example, a single responsible adult is asked to report for all members of the household 14 years of age or older. In many surveys, adults are asked to report for children. In other cases, proxy responses are used only when there is a particular reason that the targeted person cannot report. In household travel surveys, for example, data are typically sought directly from each adult member of the household. Only if ...