All or Nothing: Notable Response Behavior in Rating Scales in Participant Surveys of Academic Continuing Education for Older People

Abstract

Academic continuing education for older people is an scientifically focused offering, targeting individuals in the post-professional phase of life. This age group, and particularly this area of continuing education, has been marginally addressed in educational research. For the first time, comprehensive, cross-institutional datasets on participants are available (N_{MFB 2019} = 3,918; N_{MFB 2023} = 4,976), enabling analyses of this group’s response behavior in quantitative surveys.

Among respondents, a response behavior is observed, characterized by a distinct missing pattern. Some answer only those items on rating scales that are ‚fully applicable‘ to them, while all other items remain unanswered (missing). This response behavior has not been described previously. Consequently, this exploratory study systematically examines the response behavior and identifies data-specific characteristics potentially linked to thr response pattern. Based on theoretical considerations derived from the Total Survey Error Model and the cognitive response process model, various influencing factors are taken into account. Using logistic regression, four models were constructed, incorporating both survey-related and person-related factors (sociodemographic, participation-related, and motivation-related) step by step into the analysis. The missing pattern occurs independently of the content of the questions. Results indicate that both survey-related and person-related factors contribute this response behavior. The findings suggest multiple connections to the Total Survey Error Model but do not allow for a clear and mutually exclusive classification of the observed response error. The discussion focuses on further research desiderata and emphasizes the importance of a deeper investigation to ensure data quality and minimize systematic bias in this target group.