Know-How Exchange : Research/Metrics

Hi Hallam,

Two answers to your question:
1) response rate: several researchers have found that paying survey respondents, especially up front (e.g. send a $ 10 bill with the survey, whether or not they fill it out) increases response rate
2) does it improve or bias the actual answers?
Interesting question - which is at the heart of the difference between experimental economics and consumer behavior experiments. Faced with evidence of 'irrational' behavior in consumer behavior experiments, economists typically argue that subjects are not properly motivated because (a) the payment is insufficient for them to pay close attention and (b) the payment is not tied to performance. Therefore, they would argue that paying survey respondents improves the quality of their responses.

This article may help:
Dilip Soman 2003) 'The Effect of Payment Transparency on Consumption: Quasi-Experiments from the Field'
Journal Marketing Letters
Publisher Springer Netherlands
Issue Volume 14, Number 3 / October, 2003

Dear Hallam,

Try these:

www.checkbox.com/blog/.../survey-respondents-incentives/ -

www.copafs.org/%5Cincentives.htm -

www.allacademic.com/meta/p17003_index.html -

www.safecount.net/.../LiveWebRecruitment_Incentive_DemographicConsideration... -

www.rti.org/pubs/aapor07_hogan_paper.pdf -

https://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/welf-res-data-issues02/04/04.htm

www.questionpro.com/akira/showArticle.do?articleID... -

www.jstor.org/stable/2749620 -

I hope they help.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA