Table VIII. Standard error of estimated percentage aggregate expenditures of pai ints, Northeast region,
June-August 1960 or September-November 1960, National Recreation Survey

[68 chances out of 100]

Base of percentage /

Estimated percentage
100 | 250 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 10,000] 15,000] 20,000

28 16 1.2 0.9 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2

38] 27] 21 16{ 1.1 8 7 6 A 5

s5| 40] 31 23{ 45] 11 9 8B 6 6

a9| 64} 47] 34{ 22) v6] 13] 44 8 6

u2{ 76] 56] 40| 26, 18] 14] 1.2 9 7

YBase shown when multiplied by 29,600 is the estimate derived for sample survey of the aggregate expenditures of participants.

Table IX. Standard error of estimated percentage aggregate expenditures of pai pants, “fortheast rezion,
December 1960-February 1961 or March-May 1961, National Recreation Survey

[68 chances out of 100]

Base of percentage -/

Estimated percentage

100 250 500 1,000 | 2,500 5,000 | 7,500 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 20,000
21 1.8 13 1.0 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2
45 29 2.2 1.6 1.0 8 6 5 A A
6.3 43 3.1 2.3 14 1 9 8 6 5
98 6.4 AT 3.4 2.2 1.6 13 1 go 7
Ww 78 5.4 39 2.6 1.8 15 1.3 1.0 8

VBase shown when multiplied by 29,600 is the estimate derived for sample survey of the aggregate expenditures of participants.

Table X. Standard error of estimated percentage aggregate expenditures of participants for the North Central region,
June-August 1960, National Recreation Survey

[68 chances out of 100]

Base of percentage Y
Estimated percentage Jase of percentage

500 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 20,000 | 40,000
3.8 24 1.3 08 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2
5.3 3.2 17 1.0 8 6 5 4 3
6.3 39 2.0 1.2 9 8 7 5 4
al 48 24 1.5 1.2 1.0 8 7 5
8.4 49 25 17 1.4 1.2 9 8 5
‘Base shown when multiplied by 29,600 is the estimate derived for sample survey of the aggregate expenditures of participants.
Table XI. Standard error of estimated percentage aggregate expenditures of participants for the North Central region,
September-November 1960, December 1960-February 1961 or March-May 1961
[68 chonces out of 100]
y
Estimated percentage Base of percentage
100 250 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 10,000 | 15,000
2 or 98 2.0 V7 1.3 i] 0.8 0. | 0.5 0.5 0.4
5 or 95 4.0 3.0 24 19 14 1.2 3 8 7
10 or 90 6.2 45 37 29 26 15 1.3 ww 9
25 or 75. 10.0 7.0 59 5.2 3.2 2.3 1.9 16 1.3
50... 12.7 78 7.2 5.6 3.8 26 24 1.9 17

Base shown when multiplied by 29,600 is the estimate derived for somple survey of the aggregate expenditures of participants.

107





Attending outdoor sports events. Attendance at any
outdoor sports event as a spectator in which the
respondent is not a participant, official, etc., is
included here. The same events are included here as
in playing outdoor games or sports.

Attending outdoor concerts, drama, etc. Included
here are musical, dramatic, artistic or other non-
sporting events which are conducted out of doors.
Attending drive-in movies are excluded.

Snow skiing. Included are noncompetitive recreation
use of skis on snow. Amateur competitive skiing is
included in the category “playing outdoor games or
sports,”” Professional skiing is out of scope and is
not included in the survey.

Canoeing. The dictionary defines a canoe as anar-
row light boat moved with paddles, not oars. Any
recreation use of such a craft is ‘‘canoeing.”

Sailing. The recreation use of any vessel with sail
primarily intended to be propelled by wind is con-
sidered sailing. Sailboats with auxiliary engines, or
sailing dinghys equipped with sail if primarily intended
to be sailed rather than rowed, are included.

Other boating. The recreation use of any boat other
than canoes or sailboats is included here, with the ex-
ception of houseboats, (which were entered separately
by writing at the bottom of the list.) This category
includes the use of rowboats, outboard motorboats,
inboard motorboats, rafts, floats, etc.

Swimming. The ability to swim isnot necessary for
inclusion under this activity. ‘‘Bathing,” playing inthe
surf, etc., is included as well as skin or scuba diving
and surfboarding.

Water skiing. This includes any of the various
sports where the person is towed behind a boat.
This includes the use of aquaplanes, water skis or
any other apparatus of this type.

Playing outdoor games or sports. Since most games
and team sports require playing facilities of a kind
different from the focus of the survey, they are lumped
together in order to provide the proportion of the
Population participating in these activities. Included
are all team sports, such as baseball, football, out~
door basketball, etc., as well as usually nonteam
sports, such as tennis, golf, etc. Record events
such as trying to set aspeedboat record, are included,
The name of the sport was required of the respondent.
A requirement for including the activity is the aspect
of competition, either against other people, the clock,
a record, etc.

Mountain climbing with gear. Mountain climbing
with gear eliminates any climbing of hills or rocks
which do not require the use of climbing gear. Gear
includes a rope and any other equipment such as
axes, spiked shoes, crampons,stc.

Ice skating, Included is any noncompetitive rec-
reation ice skating. Competitive skating including ice
hockey, figure skating contests, etc., is classified as
“playing outdoor games or sports,’ Interviewers
were instructed to exclude any skating done on indoor
ice rinks, as well as professional or other nonrec-
reational skating.

Sledding and tobogganing. This is the recreation
use of a sled, toboggan, bobsled or similar vehicle
designed for sliding over snow or ice. Excluded is
the use of any large vehicle (sleigh) designed primar-
ily to be drawn by a horse or propelled mechanically.

109

Other outdoor recreation activities. This category
includes any other outdoor recreation activity not
clearly classifiable into one of the categories listed

above. Examples are: houseboating, skeet shooting,
gliding, horse and buggy riding, trampoline jumping,
ete.

Measures of participation

From the days reported engaging in each activity,
three participation measures are computed, as in-
dicated below.

Percent of persons participating. The percent of
persons participating in an activity within a given
period (for example, June-August 1960) was computed,
using as the numerator the number of persons who
reported participation for that activity in connection
with any vacation, trip, outing or other recreation
oceasion, and, as the denominator, the number of
cases in the final adjusted sample for the class being
presented (for example, an age group).

Activity day. The information collected is the
number of days of activity which the respondent
reports, An activity day is any part of a day in which
the person engaged in the activity one or more times.
For example, one ‘swimming’? day is counted if the
person went swimming one time or two times during
the day. If the person went swimming in the morning
and horseback riding in the afternoon, an activity day
is counted for the person for each activity.

Activity days per person. The number of activity
days per person was arrived at by dividing the ac-
cumulated number of reported days of participation
by the number of adjusted sample cases for the class
being presented,

Activity days per participant. The number of ac-
tivity days per participant was computed by dividing
the accumulated number of reported days of partici-
pation by the number who reported any participation
in the adjusted sample for the class being presented.

Definitions of classificatory variables

For reporting and analysis the recreation data are
classified according to various categories presumed to
have relevance for interpretation and prediction, The
definition of the terms, for the most part, have followed
standard concepts, particularly those employed by the
U.S, Bureau of the Census. However, in some in-
stances one or more classes of reporting categories
usually used in reporting data have been combined.
The major variables used are defined below.

Region. The sample is classified into four broad
geographic areas of the conterminous United States.
These are the standard four major groups of States
regions used by the Bureau of the Census. They are
as follows:

Northeast
Maine Connecticut
New Hampshire New York
Vermont New Jersey
Massachusetts Pennsylvania
Rhode Island



Table XII.

Standard error of percentage aggregate expenditures of parti

ipants for the South region,

June-August 1960 or March-May 1961, National Recreation Survey

[68 chances out of 100]

Base of percentage -/

Estimated percentage

yoo | 250 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 20,000
0.9 07} 06] 05} 04] 04] 04] 0.4} 0.3 0.3
ind 14] 1.2 uw 9 8 8 7 6 6
27 24) 21 18 15 13 Ml Ml 1.0 9
48 41 36) 32) 27] 23) 21 2.0 15 15
6.5 55| 47] 42] 36] 3.2 25] 21 18
VBase shown when multiplied by 29,600 is the estimate derived for somple survey of the aggregate expenditure.
Table XIII. Standard error of estimated percentage aggregate expenditures of participants for the South region,
September-November 1960 or December 1960-February 1961, National Recreation Survey
[68 chances out of 100]
IT
Estimated percentage Base of percentage 7
Too [| 250 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 10,000] 15,000] 20,000
2.9 19 15 a] 08} 06] 05) o4| 03 0.3
47 34] 26 Ww 14 1.0 9 7 6 5
7.0 49| 37] 29] 20 1.4 1.2] 1.0 8 7
10.9 77| 60) 45) 29] 20) 16] 14 1.2 1.0
13.0 95| 72, 52] 33] 24] 19] 17 1.4 12

YBuse shown when multiplied by 29,600 is the estimate derived for sample survey of the aggregate expenditure.

was asked, ‘Looking at the list, which of these ac-
tivities did you take part in during your (vacation
trip)?’ The list contained 23 activities. No ad-
ditional definition of each of the activities was
specified for the respondent unless he seemed con-
fused as to the meaning of the term, or unless he
asked for clarification. In this case the definitions
presented below were read or explained to him:
Camping. By camping we mean living out of doors
using for shelter a bed roll, sleeping bag, trailer,
tent, or a hut open on one or more sides, if the
person takes his bedding, cooking equipment, food with
him, Camping is often done in combination with other
activities such as fishing, hunting, etc. (When such a
combination is reported, all associated outdoor ac-
tivities also are recorded.) Do not include formal
camps for teenagers, such as Boy Scout camps, etc.
Fishing. For purposes of this survey, fishing is the
taking of fish for noncommercial purposes. Spear-
fishing while skin diving should also be included, Fish-
ing for commercial purposes or other ‘“nonsport”?
fishing should not be included in this category.
Hunting. Hunting is the search for or stalking of
animals in order to kill them for recreation purposes.
No form of commercial hunting is considered.
Bicycling. Included in this category is any bicycle
riding done only for pleasure. If a respondent rides
a bicycle to work or to school it is excluded even
though the person derives pleasure from riding.
Horseback riding. Includes only recreation riding.
Riding to or from work or school or riding as part of
a job such as a ‘cowboy’? or mounted policeman is
not included,

Driving for pleasure. The key word inthis definition
is pleasure, Included in this category is both riding
and driving. If the driving was mixed, the determining
factor is whether or not it was primarilyfor pleasure.
Activities such as racing are included under sports and
games.

Hiking (on trails with pack). The limitation, ‘‘on
trail with pack’, excludes casual walking and nature
walks, A pack would normally include provisions and
some sort of shelter. Heavy shoes are usually worn
when hiking.

Nature walks (To observe birds, animals, plants,
etc,). Nature walks includes walks for the purpose of
observing either plants, birds, or animals, and the
collection of specimens, photographing natural sub-
jects, etc.

Picnies. A picnic is outdoor activity away from
home the primary purpose being the preparation or
eating of a meal, out-of-doors. Often other ac-
tivities are associated with picnics.

Walking for pleasure. Any walking not included
under Hiking or Nature Walks, from early morning
“‘constitutionals’’ to long all day walks which do not
require a pack,

Sightseeing. Sightseeing consists of looking at
something of interest, the major limitation being that
the sightseeing must be intentional, Excluded are
such things as casually looking from the car window
during a trip. If the person took a particular route or
went out of his way to see a particular sight, it is
classified as sightseeing. Excluded are activities such
as window shopping wherein the emphasis is not on
the out-of-doors,



If a person was still in school, the current grade was
entered,

Marital status. The marital status of both of the
sample person and head of the householdis transferred
from Current Population Survey records. Inthe tables,
some of these categories are combined. The cate-
gories employed and notes on their definitions are as
follows:

Married. Includes common-law marriage.
Married couples who are separated legally or be-
cause of marital discord, as defined below, are
excluded here. If one spouse is temporarily ab-
sent, such as a husband in the armed forces or
for similar reasons except marital discord, the
person is classified as married.

Widowed Persons,

Divorced Persons.

Separated persons. The spouse is not present
in the household but they have not obtained a
divorce. The couple need not be legally separated
to be classified as separated,

Never married.

Not ascertainable.

Income, The respondent was asked to classify the
family according to the total family income ‘during
the past 12 months.” The respondent was given a
flash card showing the response categories as pre-
sented below. In addition, family income was defined
to include: ‘wages and salaries, business profits, net
farm income, pensions, rents, and any other money
income received by the members of this family.”

Yearly Weekly
Under $1,500 Under $30
$1,500 to $2,999 $30 to $59
$3,000 to $4,499 $60 to $84
$4,500 to $5,999 $85 to $119
$6,000 to $7,999 $120 to $154

$8,000 to $9,999
$10,000 to $14,999
$15,000 to $19,999
$20,000 and over

$155 to $189
$190 to $289
$290 to $379
$380 and over

Occupation, The employment status and occupation
of the sample person and the head of the household was
not independently asked for purpose of this survey.
Instead, the information was transcribed from the
records of the Current Population Survey. The Current
Population Survey obtains this information through a
series of questions which include, first, determining
what the individual was doing most of last week, the
classification being: working, looking for work, with
a job but not at work, keeping house, going to school,
unable to work, or other. If a person has a regular
job or business he is asked, ‘‘What kind of work
(were you) was doing?’ In addition, the kind of
business or industry in which the person was working
is determined. Class of worker, also, is determined,
the person being classified as follows: working for a
private employer for wages, salary, compensation or
tips: working for the government; working in own
business or profession or farm for profit or fees;
working without pay on family farm or business;
never worked.

111

On the basis of the above information, the individual
is classified according to employment status, occupa-
tion and industry. The employment status and occupa-
tional classifications are employed in the National
Recreation Survey. When it was necessary to combine
some occupational categories, standard census combi-
nations were used.4/ The basic categories are, as
follows:

Employed:
Professional, technical, and kindred workers.
Managers, officials, and proprietors, except
farm,
Clerical and
collar).
Craftsmen, foremen, and kindred workers.
Operatives and kindred workers including
laborers, (Except farm and mine.)
Service workers (including private).
Farm workers,
Occupation not reported.
Not employed:
Household,
School.
Unable to work, unemployed, andother.

REINTERVIEW SURVEY

sales workers (other white

As one means of measuring the quality of the sample
results, the National Recreation Survey included an
independent reinterview survey. Differences arising
between the original interview and the reinterview
provide an indication of the difference attributable to
the measurement process. The reinterview survey
was conducted in all four quarters of the survey year.
The size of the reinterview for the September 1960
quarter was about 10 percent of the sample persons
located in approximately 75 segments, The reinter-
view sample in December 1960 was half that size
(5 percent) and 2 1/2 percent for the March and June
1961 surveys. The reinterviews were made by the
supervisory staff independently of the results of the
original interview. The interview procedures, except
for the introduction of the interviewer, were the same
as the original interview. An analysis of the results
of the reinterview is presented as an appendix, part I,
of this report.

QUESTIONNAIRE

The questionnaire for the September 1960 survey is
presented as an appendix to this volume. Questions
used in subsequent surveys were identical, except for
a change in period of reference. For example, each
reference to summer in the September 1960 survey
was changed to fall for the December 1960 survey.
Supplementary questions on hunting and fishing leases
and questions on camping in undeveloped areas were
added in the II, II, and IV surveys. Supplementary
questions to provide data for methodological studies
were also included in the II and IV surveys.

4/1960 Census of Population: Classified Index of Occupations
and Industries.’ Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Cen-
sus, 1960. pp. XV-XX.



PART II—National Recreation Survey

103



North Central

Michigan Towa
Ohio Missouri
Illinois North Dakota
Indiana South Dakota
Wisconsin Nebraska
Minnesota Kansas

South
Delaware Florida
Maryland Kentucky
District of Columbia Tennessee
Virginia Alabama
West Virginia Mississippi
North Carolina Arkansas
South Carolina Louisiana
Georgia Oklahoma
Texas

West
Montana Utah
Idaho Nevada
Wyoming Washington
Colorado Oregon
New Mexico California
Arizona

Alaska and Hawaii were not included
in the survey.

Residence. Residence is used to classify the re-
sponses according to the degree of urbanization of the
territory wherein the respondent resides, standard
Census Bureau classifications being employed. The
definitions are those established with the 1950 census,
the chief distinctions being, as follows:

Urban-Rural. For the 1950 decennial census, the
urban population was defined as ‘‘all persons living in
(a) places of 2,500 inhabitants or more incorporated
as cities, boroughs, and villages, (b) incorporated
towns of 2,500 inhabitants or more except in New
England, New York, and Wisconsin, where ‘towns’”’
are simply minor civil divisions of counties, (c) the
densely settled urban fringe, including both incor-
porated, and unincorporated areas, around cities of
50,000 or more, and (d) unincorporated places of
2,500 inhabitants or more outside any urban fringe.
The remaining population is classified as rural.”

Most of the tables distinguish three classes of urban
population: within standard metropolitan areas (now
called standard metropolitan statistical areas) of 1
million or more population, and of less than 1 million
population; and, urban population outside standard
metropolitan areas (this class generally being urban
places of less than 50,000 population in 1950).

The standard metropolitan areas consist of the
county or group of counties containing at least one
city of 50,000 or more, except in New England. In
addition, contiguous counties are included as SMA’s
“if according to certain criteria they are essentially
metropolitan in character and socially and economic-
ally integrated with the central city.” Towns and
cities, rather than counties, are the units used in
New England,

110

The rural-farm population includes all those living

on farms, regardless of occupation. The rural-
nonfarm population includes all others who do not
live in urban territory. ‘‘The rural-nonfarm popu-
lation comprises persons living in a variety of types
of residences, such as isolated nonfarm homes in
the open country, villages and hamlets of fewer than
2,500 inhabitants, and some of the fringe areas sur-
rounding the smaller incorporated areas,”’

Elaborations of these definitions may be found in
volumes of the 1950 Decennial Census of Population,
particularly: U.S, Census of Population, 1950, vol.1.,
Washington, D.C.: Department of Commerce, Bureau
of the Census.

The classification most often used for the National
Recreation Survey data is, as follows:

Residence within standard metropolitan area—
In urbanized area, 1 million or more,

In urbanized area less than 1 million and
all other urban population,
Rural,

Residence outside standard metropolitan area—
Urban (chiefly 2,500-50,000 population),
Rural, nonfarm.

Rural, farm.

In some tables the rural population within standard
metropolitan areas has been combined with the rural
categories outside SMA’s,

‘Age. Age of the sample person andof the head of the
household is recorded from the Current Population
Survey record for the family, in single years and is
the age at the last birthday of the individual. The
National Recreation Survey included a sample of
persons who were 12 years of age and over in the
previous months’ outgoing rotation group of house-
holds of the Current Population Survey:

Race. Only the white and nonwhite categories are
presented in these tables. The information was tran-
scribed from the Current Population Survey control
card. The categories employed in that survey are
white, negro, and other. Mexicans are recorded as
white unless they are of Indian or nonwhite race.
This characteristic is usually determined by obser-
vation, but inquiry is made if the interviewer is un-
certain.

Education, Education is determined by direct
question to the sample person and of the sample
person for the head of the household, if the head is
related to the sample person. (Otherwise, the edu-
cation of the head is determined from another house-
hold respondent or the head itself.) The number of
years of schooling completed is determined by the
question: What is the highest grade (or year) of
regular school you have ever attended? After check-
ing the grade or year, the interviewer asks the
respondent, “Did you finish this grade or year?” and
records the ‘‘Yes’’ or “‘No’’ answer. Thus, the high-
est grade completed of the following categories by
grade is recorded: Never attended school, kinder-
garten, elementary school (each of grades one through
eight), high school (each grades one though four),
college (each of years one through six or more).
Regular school is defined as that which leads toward
elementary or high school diploma or a college,
university, or professional school degree. Attendance
was accepted if full or part time, day or night school.



Table IV. Standard error of estimated percentage of number of participants for the Northeast and North Centra! regions,
for each quarterly survey, June 1960-May 1961, National Recreation Survey

[68 chances out of 100]

y
Estimated percentage Base of percentage.
50 100 200 300 400 500 1,000

18 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.4
29 20 15 1.2 1.0 9 7
4.0 29 22 17 15 1.4 1.0
59 4) 3.2 24 21 1 1.3
68 48 28 26 24 21 15

YBase shown when multiplied by 29,600 is the estimate derived for the sample survey of the number of participants.

Table V. Standard error of estimated percentage of number of participants for the South and West regions,
for each quarterly survey, June 1960-May 1961, National Recreation Survey
[68 chances out of 100)
a7]
Estimated percentage Base of percentage
50 100 200 300 400 500 1,000

21 1.4 Ww 0.9 0.8 07 0.5
35 24 1.8 14 1.2 11 7
44 3.3 25 2.0 1.8 1.6 1.0

25 or 75. 69 48 37 2.8 24 2.2 1.5

50... 79 5.7 45 3.3 28 25 7

YBase shown when multiplied by 29,600 is the estimate derived for the sample survey of the number of participants.

Table VI. Standard error of estimated percentage aggregate expenditures of participants for the United States,
for each quarterly survey, June-August 1960, National Recreation Survey

[68 chances out of 100]

y
Estimated percentage Base of percentage

500 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 25,000 | 50,000 | 75,000 | 100,000

0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.2 01 1 0.1

Ml a) 7 5 A 3 3 2 2

VW 14 1.0 8 7 5 A 3 3
25 or 75. 28 2.2 17 4 1.3 8 6 5 A
50... 3.5 28 21 7 4 1.0 7 6 3
Base shown when multiplied by 29,600 is the estimate derived for sample survey of the aggregate expenditures of participants.

Table VII. Standard error of estimated percentage aggregate expenditures of participants for the United States,
September-November 1960, December 1960-February 1961 or March-May 1961, National Recreation Survey
[68 chances out of 100]
a
Estimated percentage Bose of percentage

500 1,000 | 2,500 5,000 | 10,000 | 25,000 | 50,000 | 75,000
2or 98. 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1
5 or 95 1.2 1.0 8 7 6 5 4 3
10 oF 90. 2.0 Ww 1.3 wl 9 7 6 5
25 of 75. 3.3 28 2.3 . 16 13 1.0 8
50... 4.3 3.6 3.4 2.4 2.2 1.6 12 1.0

YBase shown when multiplied by 29,600 is the estimate derived for somple survey of the aggregate expenditures of participants.

106



Table I. Sample information,

|, National recreation surveys

Number of persons
. ; 7 Percent
Survey Field work performed during Assigned for Interviewed Noninterviews. noninterviews
interview
' Sept. 6-Sept. 16, 1960. 4234 3317 417 9.8
u Nov. 28-Dec. 9, 1960. 4420 9% 494 1.2
nm Feb. 27-Mar. 10, 1961. 4497 4046 451 10.0
IV | May 31-Jun. 16, 1961. 4329 3820 509 11.8
Table II. Reasons for noninterview, national is less than the standard error, The chances are
recreation surveys about 95 out of 100 that the difference is less than
—— twice the standard error and 99 out of 100 that it is
Reason Percent of noninterviews less than 2 1/2 times the standard error.
f u m [ow The estimates of standard errors shown in the fol-
lowing tables are approximations for the 330-area
Refused . . 2 2} 2 20 sample. In order to derive standard errors which
No one home, repeated calls . M4 | 18 20 would be applicable to a wide variety of population
Temporarily absent v7 Bi 19 18 characteristics and which could be prepared at moder-
Moved after CPS month ate cost, a number of approximations were required.
preceding NRS . 18 “jou 12 As a result, the tables of standard errors should be
Other 28 31 31 29 interpreted as providing an indication of the order of
No reason 1 1 0 1 magnitude of the standard errors rather than providing

Chiefly, sample person has left the household.

These sources include sampling variability, non-
response of the designated respondent, respondent
errors in memory and in providing the exact infor-
mation requested and errors in the processing of the
data (editing and coding). The sampling variability
for some of the percentages in the tables are pre-
sented in the section below. To determine the extent
of various other sources of error, such as respondent
error and interviewer error, a second interview was
conducted with a sample of respondents and compared
with the first interview.

Since the estimates are based on a sample, they
are subject to sampling variability, The standard
error is a measure of sampling variability, that is, the
variation that might occur by chance because only a
sample of the population is surveyed. These tables
do not reflect the effect of response variance, proces-
sing variance, or bias arising in the collection,
processing, and estimation steps, The chances are
about 68 out of 100 that the difference due to sampling
variability between an estimate and the figure that
would have been obtained from a complete enumeration

Table III.

a precise standard error for any specific item.
Illustration

Using the tables on adjusted distribution of sample
persons 12 years and over during June-August 1960:
Population equals 29,600 times adjusted sample per-
sons (table 1.02), we find 213 sample cases of females
25-44 years in the North Central region representing
6,300,000 females in this region. The table on
“Swimming” (table 1.02.16) indicates 47 percent of
the females aged 25-44 in the North Central region
participated in swimming. Linear interpolation of
table IV shows that the standard error of the 47 per-
cent (for a base of 200 in table IV) is roughly 3.0
percentage points. Therefore, the chances are about
68 in 100 that a complete census would reveal that the
percentage lies between 44.0 and 50.0 percent.

DEFINITIONS
Outdoor recreation activities

After the respondent had reported taking a vacation,
trip, outing, or other outdoor recreation occasion, he

Standard errors of estimated percentage of the number of participants for the United States, for each

quarterly survey, June 1960-May 1961, National Recreation Survey

(68 chances o1

ut of 100]

7
Estimated percentage Base of percentoge 7
100 200 300 400 so0 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 3,000
12 09 0.8 07 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.2
21 15 12 1.0 9 7 5 A
29 21 16 14 13 11 7 6
4.3 3.0 25 23 21 7 1.0 8
5.2 37 29 27 2.5 19 13 Ml

VBose shown when multiplied by 29,600 is the estimate derived for

he sample survey of the number of participants.

105



SAMPLE DESIGN AND METHOD !

The National Recreation Survey is a nationwide
survey conducted on a quarterly basis for four
quarters, The first survey was made in September
1960 and covered the period June-August 1960. The
population is the civilian, noninstitutional population
of the conterminous United States, 12 years and over.

Briefly, the objectives are to determine rates of
participation in various types of outdoor recreation
and relate the participation to selected socioeconomic
characteristics; to develop information on the ex-
cursions, 1-day trips, and intermittent participation;
to provide data on the days spent in these pursuits and
the aggregate expenditures for selected services re-
lated to these activities; and, to obtain preferences
in the use of leisure time and outdoor recreation
activity.

Sample design

Each quarterly sample of the National Recreation
Survey was a particular subsample of persons pre-
viously selected for the monthly labor force survey,
the Current Population Survey. The sampling plan of
the Current Population Survey (CPS) (and'the first two
stages of the National Recreation Survey) is described
in ‘‘Current Population Reports,’’ 2/

The Current Population Survey sample is used each
month by the Bureau of the Census to collect official
government statistics on employment and unemploy-
ment, An area probability sample, it is distributed
over 333 primary sampling units (PSU), 3/ each being
a county or group of counties, in total comprising 641
counties and independent cities in the 50 States and the
District of Columbia. The 35,000 interviewed house-
holds in each month’s sample are divided into 8 ro-
tation groups of approximately 4,375 households each.
Each rotation group comprises a representative
sample of the U.S. population. A rotation group is
interviewed for 4 consecutive months, then skipped for
8 consecutive months then interviewed for 4 additional
months; it is then permanently dropped from the
sample, The rotation group which was interviewed
in the Current Population Survey for the last time in
the month preceding the National Recreation Survey
month was used to develop the sample for this survey.

Within each of the 333 sample PSU’s, the CPS
sample consists of small land areas called segments,
each containing approximately six dwelling units, In
determining sample size within each sample PSU, a

This section was prepared by the Statistical Methods Division,
U.S. Census Bureau.

2/"Current Population Reports,”” concepts and methods used in
the current employment and unemployment statistics prepared
by the Bureau of the Census, Washington: U.S. Department of
Commerce, Moy 9, 1958 (Series P-23, No. 5).

Since only the conterminous United States was sampled in the
Notional Recreation Survey, (Hawaii and Alaska were not in-
cluded) 330 primary sampling units were involved, providing
approximately 4,360 households from which a population som-
ple was selected. Approximately 325 interviewers conducted
the interviews, with the predesignated respondent.

104

within-PSU sampling ratio, rather than a fixed quota,
is employed, The sample is thus made self-weighting,
that is, each person has the same probability of
being selected for the survey. In addition to the
sampling stages of the CPS, an additional stage of
sampling was used for National Recreation Survey.

Selection of individuals for interview

The interview sample of persons was selected by
segment. Within each segment, the households were
arranged according to a serial number order. Individ-
uals residing in the household at the time of the last
CPS interview (the previous month), 12 years of age
and over, were transcribed to a sample person selec-
tion sheet containing predesignated lines for sample
persons. Approximately two persons out of every five
were selected for interviewing on this systematic
basis.

At the census regional field office, the name and
address of the respondent was inserted on the question-
naire, Each segment was assigned to an interviewer.
Usually, an interviewer canvassed all segments in a
PSU, except in larger areas where more than one
interviewer worked, Interviewing was accomplished
during the first 2 weeks of the survey month, although
the time-period varied slightly. (See table I.)

The completed questionnaires were forwarded to
Washington where responses were coded and trans-
fered to IBM cards, The sample was adjusted to
account for the nonresponse due to refusals, persons
not at home and not available for other reasons. This
was done by duplication of cards containing data
secured by interview from a sample of persons of
like age and sex characteristics as the nonrespondent
within the same cluster of PSUs. There were 35
clusters of PSUs within the 5 age, and 2 sex groups.
In addition, a second adjustment was made to bring
the distribution of the sample according to 20 age, sex,
and color groups, into correspondence with independ-
ent estimates of the age, sex, color distribution of
the noninstitutional, civilian population of the conter-
minous United States, 12 years of age and above, at
the time of the survey.

This procedure resulted in equal weighting of
each adjusted sample case. The rates of non-
response, the sample size and distribution of
reasons for nonresponse are presented in the follow-
ing tables.

Field procedure

Interviewers were instructed to interview the desig-
nated sample person, accepting no substitutes. For
households having a telephone, the interviewer was
instructed to attempt to make a specific appointment
for an interview prior to visiting the household. Inter-
viewers were allowed up to four personal visits to
complete an interview with a sample person.

RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES

Estimates based upon sample surveys are not exact
because of errors arising from various sources.