| Abstract: | This article examines, from secondary sources, various aspectsof public opinion surveys in Japan. During the 1975 to 1990period, there was an increase in the number of surveys and therewere some similarities and some differences in their topics.The use of the Basic Residents Registers as a sampling framehas increased. The plurality of the surveys drew their samplesfrom a single city. The proportion of mail surveys increased;whereas personal interviews and drop-off self-administered surveysdecreased. Response rates for all major questionnaire administrationmethods decreased. Despite the decline, the median responserate was 75.2 percent during this period. Response rates wereexamined more closely using the rates of the National Life Surveyfor 1975, 1980, 1985, and 1990. The following trends were noted:(a) response rates of urban areas declined more sharply thanthose of rural areas; (b) overall response rates of males wereabout 10 percentage points lower than those of females; (c)response rates of females in their twenties had the steepestdecline; and (d) refusals almost doubled. Some of the reasonsfor these changes are discussed and it is noted that the decreasingresponse rates probably reflect changes in lifestyles and attitudestowards surveys. |
