Testing how accurately recreation club members recalled participation
D. R. Chase and G. C. Godbey's 1983 research note compared recalled tennis and swimming participation with club records in central Pennsylvania, offering an early example of validating survey responses against recorded behavior.
What the study did and found
The 1983 research note The accuracy of self-reported participation rates by D. R. Chase and G. C. Godbey examined whether recreation participants accurately remembered their attendance. Two studies compared reported frequency with club records: tennis members in spring 1981 and swimming members in spring 1982, both in central Pennsylvania.
Later methodological summaries reported that more than 75% of respondents in both groups overestimated participation, while at least 43% overestimated it by more than 100%. These findings describe the studied populations, not all recreation surveys. The record-check method demonstrated how reported behavior could be compared with documented attendance.
Why it is cited
The study is cited as an early example of validating survey responses against independent records. Chase and Harada's 1984 follow-up reported substantial swimming-participation overestimation and recalled frequencies clustering around numbers ending in 0 or 5.
Later research on recreation and survey measurement used the findings to illustrate recall error. Boothby (1987) also noted that reporting errors can include underestimation, depending on the population and survey conditions.
Later studies confirm that recall accuracy varies with the reference period, activity and reporting method. The 1983 findings were based on two activities and club populations in one region, limiting their generalizability.
Records, diaries and shorter reporting intervals can help assess accuracy. No universal correction factor can be inferred from this study because errors differ across populations and measurement conditions.
The topic today
Recall accuracy remains relevant to recreation, physical activity and time-use surveys. Researchers can compare questionnaires with administrative records, digital logs, diaries or wearable measurements.
A 2021 youth-sport validation study found high agreement between retrospective reports and school records for many sports, demonstrating that self-report accuracy varies by context. The central lesson remains practical: define participation clearly, choose an appropriate recall period and validate responses when reliable frequency estimates are essential.