Skip to main content

Implications of Errors in Survey Data: A Bayesian Model

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gaba, A; Winkler, RL
Published in: Management Science
July 1992

Data from surveys often include errors, and such errors can have a serious effect on inferences about behavior or perceptions. In this paper a model is developed for making inferences based on dichotomous survey data with possible errors. A likelihood analysis reveals an identification problem, which can be avoided when a Bayesian approach is taken. The model is illustrated with purchase recall data from two previous studies, and the analysis shows that errors can have a significant impact on inferences about behavior. Ignoring such errors leads to point estimates that are systematically too high in many cases and to interval estimates that are unrealistically narrow. The effective amount of information in the survey data is reduced dramatically by the presence of errors. These results have important implications for the use and value of survey data in marketing and in many other areas.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Management Science

DOI

EISSN

1526-5501

ISSN

0025-1909

Publication Date

July 1992

Volume

38

Issue

7

Start / End Page

913 / 925

Publisher

Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)

Related Subject Headings

  • Operations Research
  • 46 Information and computing sciences
  • 38 Economics
  • 35 Commerce, management, tourism and services
  • 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Gaba, A., & Winkler, R. L. (1992). Implications of Errors in Survey Data: A Bayesian Model. Management Science, 38(7), 913–925. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.38.7.913
Gaba, Anil, and Robert L. Winkler. “Implications of Errors in Survey Data: A Bayesian Model.” Management Science 38, no. 7 (July 1992): 913–25. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.38.7.913.
Gaba A, Winkler RL. Implications of Errors in Survey Data: A Bayesian Model. Management Science. 1992 Jul;38(7):913–25.
Gaba, Anil, and Robert L. Winkler. “Implications of Errors in Survey Data: A Bayesian Model.” Management Science, vol. 38, no. 7, Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), July 1992, pp. 913–25. Crossref, doi:10.1287/mnsc.38.7.913.
Gaba A, Winkler RL. Implications of Errors in Survey Data: A Bayesian Model. Management Science. Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS); 1992 Jul;38(7):913–925.

Published In

Management Science

DOI

EISSN

1526-5501

ISSN

0025-1909

Publication Date

July 1992

Volume

38

Issue

7

Start / End Page

913 / 925

Publisher

Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)

Related Subject Headings

  • Operations Research
  • 46 Information and computing sciences
  • 38 Economics
  • 35 Commerce, management, tourism and services
  • 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences