Using Address Frames to Identify Cell-Phone-Only and Cell-Phone-Primary Households

• Activity Number: 512
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 5, 2009 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
• Author(s): Anna Fleeman*+
• Companies: Arbitron, Inc.
• Keywords: Cell Phone Only ; Address Based Sampling ; Cell Phone Primary ; Cell Phone Mostlies

Abstract

Arbitron has been investigating the feasibility of using address-based sample frames. First, in 2007-08, we fielded two studies assessing whether CPO households (CPOs) could be identified in such frames (n=20,094). Indeed, they could be; therefore, we then placed radio listening diaries in these CPOs. Performance rates and costs were akin to or better than landline and RDD CPO samples. Third, responding to the 13% of cell-phone-primary households (CPPs), per the 2007 NHIS, questions to classify CPPs were added to the mail survey used in the previous studies. In Winter 2008-09, surveys were mailed to ~21,000 households to evaluate the percentage of CPPs in the address sample and their demographics. The findings and insights from these studies are key when determining if address frames should be used and if they are a methodologically sound way to include CPOs/CPPs in survey research.