Reaserch spotlight by Zack Zimbalist, Ph.D.

Public attitude surveys provide invaluable insights into societal views on women’s rights, democracy, and other critical issues. However, many studies do not account for biases introduced by the interviewer's gender, which can distort estimates of public opinion and key relationships among covariates of interest. This paper examines gender-of-interviewer effects on public support for women’s rights to work, own, and inherit land, using data from 34 African countries.

In line with prevailing conservative social norms in many parts of Africa, the analysis reveals significant gender-of-interviewer effects, with respondents reporting more gender-unequal attitudes when interviewed by male interviewers.

These findings highlight the importance of accounting for such biases to ensure the validity of public opinion research and analyses based on these variables. Regarding women’s rights, it is likely that support for gender equality is underestimated in many African countries because respondents adjust their responses to cater to the gender-unequal norm when interviewed by a male. Alternative survey techniques could be deployed to ensure respondents feel free from pressure, enabling them to provide honest beliefs and assessments on important gender-related questions.

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