1 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

How Do Different Cues Affect Proxy Reporting of 

Transit Use?

Brett McBride

Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys

73rd Annual AAPOR Conference

May 18, 2018

Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not constitute policy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Consumer Expenditure Survey

Consumer Expenditure Quarterly Interview Survey

Interviewer asks a HH respondent to report less-frequent and 

recurrent expenses 

3-month reference period 
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Proxy Reporting

Assumption: Proxy reports are of poorer quality 

Certain behaviors associated with spending can limit issues with 

proxy reporting (Kojetin & Miller, 1993):

Conversation

Participation

Observation
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Proxy Reporting (cont.)

 Certain expenditures more observable than others

 Hypothesis: Adding person-directed cues to question about less 

observable expense will increase reporting 
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Public Transportation Question Changes

1) Do [you or any members of your 

household] use mass transportation 

services such as a bus, subway, minibus or train? (Do not include expenses 

covered by employer-provided transit 

subsidies. Include commuter rail, light 

rail, and trolleys as mass transit)

1) Do [you/you or any members of your 

household] pay out-of-pocket for public 

transportation services such as bus, 

subway, train, or passenger ferry?

2017 quarter 1 2017 quarter 2
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Public Transportation Question Changes

1) Do [you or any members of your 

household] use mass transportation 

services such as a bus, subway, minibus or train? (Include ... Do not 

include...)

2) What is the usual MONTHLY cost to use 

mass transit to go to - Work?

3) What is the usual MONTHLY cost to use 

mass transit to go to - School?

4) What is the usual MONTHLY cost to use 

mass transit to go to - Other places? 

1) Do [you/you or any members of your 

household] pay out-of-pocket for public 

transportation services such as bus, 

subway, train, or passenger ferry?

2) What are the names of all household 

members who use mass transit?

3) What is [your/NAME's] usual out-ofpocket cost?

4) (-Select time period)

1) Day (to Q5)

2) Week

3) Month

5) How many days per week usually?

2017 quarter 1 - No (person) cues 2017 quarter 2 - Person cues 
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Findings: Fewer Reporting, but Increased Amounts

Overall proportion of HHs reporting (non-subsidized) public 

transportation expenses declined [not significant]

Amounts reported (for HHs reporting amount) increased

*Significant difference; Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney; Z=2.56, Pr>Z = 0.011)

No Cues (N=495) Cues (N=443)

Mean* $75.13 $89.45

Median* $40.00 $50.00
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Findings: Large Change in Amounts for 2+ HHs

Multi-member HHs (N=591)

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100

$120

$140

No Cues Cues

 Increase in median amounts from $50 

to $80
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Findings: Large Change in Amounts for 2+ HHs

Multi-member HHs (N=591)

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100

$120

$140

No Cues Cues

 Increase in median amounts from $50 

to $80

 Within multi-member HHs getting 

cues (for HHs reporting amount), 36% 

proxy reported an amount
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Findings: Limited Change in Amounts for Single HHs

Multi-member HHs (N=591) Single-member HHs (N=347)

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100

$120

$140

No Cues Cues

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100

$120

$140

No Cues "Cues"
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Summary

Proportion of HHs reporting any public transportation expense 

did not change after person cues added to question

Amounts reported by HHs with expenses significantly higher 

after person cues added

Examining change in amounts by HH size, increase attributable 

to higher amounts in HHs with multiple members
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Conclusion

Caveats

Analysis did not control for other factors

Unclear if increase in amounts reported for others (2+ HHs) led 

to the overall increase in amounts reported

− Proxy reporting was occurring in multi-member HHs

Take Away

 Person cues a potential tool to improve accuracy of proxy 

reporting 
Contact Information

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Brett McBride

Senior Economist

Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys

www.bls.gov/cex

202-691-5136

mcbride.brett@bls.gov