Effects of Sequential Prepaid Incentives on Response Rates, Data Quality, Sample Representativeness, and Costs in a Mail Survey of Physicians

Abstract

While collecting high quality data from physicians is critical, response rates for physician surveys are frequently low. A proven method for increasing response in mail surveys is to provide a small, prepaid monetary incentive in the initial mailing. More recently, researchers have begun experimenting with adding a second cash incentive in a follow-up contact in order to increase participation among more reluctant respondents. To assess the effects of sequential incentives on response rates, data quality, sample representativeness, and costs, physicians (N = 1,500) were randomly assigned to treatments that crossed the amount of a first ($5 or $10) and second ($0, $5, or $10) incentive to form the following groups: Group $5/$5; Group $5/$10; Group $10/$0; Group $10/$5; and Group $10/$10. Overall, second incentives were associated with higher response rates and lower costs per completed survey, and while they had no effect on item nonresponse, they increased sample representativeness.

Impact of Lottery Incentive on Response Rate and Data Quality: Evidence From Organic Food Consumption Survey of Conventional Shoppers

“…However, such an assertion is not without a challenge. Although little evidence may be found on the item nonresponse across the incentive groups, results may indicate that sequential incentives reduce bias and increase sample representativeness by incorporating individuals with a lower likelihood to participate, which is a tendency of improving data quality (Dykema et al, 2020).…”

The Early Bird Catches the Worm! Setting a Deadline for Online Panel Recruitment Incentives

“…Overall, unconditional prepaid cash incentives are often considered to be superior to other types of incentives, such as conditional postpaid incentives, non-monetary incentives (e.g., gifts and vouchers), and lotteries (Pforr et al, 2015; Singer & Ye, 2013). Concerning the effect of incentives on sample composition, some research suggests that incentives can increase the response propensity of population subgroups that are otherwise underrepresented (Dykema et al, 2020; Felderer et al, 2018; Laurie & Lynn, 2009; Singer et al, 1999). Thus, incentives may increase sample representativeness, which is defined here as the similarity between a survey sample and the population under investigation (for a discussion of the concept of representativeness see Schouten et al, 2009).…”