Prepaid Monetary Incentives Research Articles

Prepaid monetary incentive effects on mail survey response

Increasing mail survey response using monetary incentives is a proven, but not always cost-effective, method in every population. This paper tackles the questions of whether it is worth using monetary incentives and the size of the inducement by testing a regression model of the impact of prepaid monetary incentives on response rates in consumer and organizational mail surveys. The results support their use and show that the inducement value makes a significant impact on the effect size. Importantly, no significant differences were found between consumer and organizational populations.

Effectiveness of monetary incentives: Mail surveys to members of multinational professional groups

Members of professional groups were much more likely to respond to a mail survey than nonmembers who were also experts in the area (43.7% versus 13.7%). A one-dollar (U.S.) prepaid monetary incentive increased the response rates, and it was as effective for members as for nonmembers (gains of 18.6% and 15.3%, respectively). Surprisingly, the U.S. dollar monetary incentive had a greater effect on foreign than U.S. response rates (gains of 32.6% and 12.9%, respectively).

The use of a prepaid incentive to convert nonresponders on a survey of physicians.

Obtaining high response rates on physician surveys provides a difficult challenge to health services researchers. Recent studies have indicated that the use of a prepaid incentive can dramatically increase response rates. The National Survey of Diagnostic Allergy Testing included a controlled experiment in which one group of respondents received a prepaid monetary incentive while a second group did not receive an incentive. Persons assigned to a third group received a prepaid incentive only if they did not respond to the first mailing. The study examined whether or not the decision to provide a monetary incentive can be postponed until the results of the initial mailing are available. This would enable researchers to restrict the use of monetary incentives to surveys where early results indicate response rates may be inadequate. The findings confirmed earlier studies which indicated that the use of a prepaid incentive leads to a large increase in response rate. The study indicated, however, that the value of a prepaid incentive is greatly diminished if the inventive is postponed until the second mailing. The study also indicated the great majority of nonresponders do not cash the incentive checks. The prepaid incentive is, therefore, an effective and relatively inexpensive way of reducing

Modelling the Effects of Prepaid Monetary Incentives on Mail-Survey Response

This paper presents a statistical model relating the impact of prepaid monetary incentives on response rates from mail surveys. The model supports the use of monetary incentives, but inclusion of incentive value made an insignificant contribution to the model. A cost-benefit model was developed to estimate the economic worth of incentives when a researcher is attempting to achieve a target sample size.

Modelling the Effects of Prepaid Monetary Incentives on Mail-Survey Response

Modelling the Effects of Prepaid Monetary Incentives on Mail-Survey Response

Modelling the Effects of Prepaid Monetary Incentives on Mail-Survey Response

This paper presents a statistical model relating the impact of prepaid monetary incentives on response rates from mail surveys. The model supports the use of monetary incentives, but inclusion of incentive value made an insignificant contribution to the model. A cost-benefit model was developed to estimate the economic worth of incentives when a researcher is attempting to achieve a target sample size.

Selecting cost-effective survey methods: Foot-in-door and prepaid monetary incentives

The cost-effectiveness of foot-in-door (FID) and prepaid monetary incentives (PMI) are investigated. We show conceptually that, there is a trade-off between maximizing response rate and maximizing respondents per dollar. Empirical results show response rate is maximized if a FID is used in combination with a $1.00 PMI (response rate= .43, respondents/dollar= .154). Respondents per dollar is maximized with a FID combined with a $.25 PMI (response rate= .42, respondents/ dollar= .206). Also, FID and PMI do not seem to affect response, response speed, or item omission. Finally, there is evidence that FID and PMI interact negatively on response rate.

A Cost/Benefit View of Prepaid Monetary Incentives in Mail Questionnaires

A Cost/Benefit View of Prepaid Monetary Incentives in Mail Questionnaires

Monetary Incentives in Mail Surveys

Eighteen empirical studies from fourteen different researchers provide evidence that prepaid monetary incentives have a strong positive impact on the response rate in mail surveys. One of these studies is described here and an attempt is made to generalize from all eighteen about the relationship between size of incentives and reduction in nonresponse. These generalizations should be of value for the design of mail survey studies.