Nonresponse Bias

Nonresponse bias occurs when the people who choose not to answer a survey or provide information differ in important ways from those who do respond. This can lead to results that don't accurately represent the entire group, because the opinions or characteristics of nonrespondents are missing. For example, if only certain types of individuals respond to a health survey, the findings may not reflect the experiences of everyone. Nonresponse bias can distort conclusions and reduce the reliability of data, making it important to consider strategies to encourage participation and account for the missing responses.