Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Impact of Lottery Incentives on Student Survey Response Rates

  • Published:
Research in Higher Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Lottery incentives are widely used by institutional researchers despite a lack of research documenting the effectiveness of postpaid incentives in general and lottery incentives in particular. A controlled experiment tested the effects of lottery incentives using a prospective college applicant Web survey, with e-mails sent to more than 9,000 high school students. The impact of the level of lottery incentive on response rates and response bias is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Adams, L., and Gale, D. (1982). Solving the quandary between questionnaire length and response rate in educational research. Res. Higher Educ. 17: 231–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berk, M. L., Mathiowetz, N. A., Ward, E. P., and White, A. A. (1987). The effect of prepaid and promised incentives: Results of a controlled experiment. J. Off. Stat. 3: 449–457.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, S. H., and Kanouse, D. E. (1987). Physician response to a mailed survey: An experiment in timing of payment. Public Opin. Q. 51: 102–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boser, J. (1990). Surveying alumni by mail: Effect of booklet/folder questionnaire format and style of type on response rate. Res. Higher Educ. 31: 149–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradburn, N. M. (1992). Presidential address: A response to the non-response problem. Public Opin. Q. 56: 391–398.

    Google Scholar 

  • Church, A. (1993). Estimating the effect of incentives on mail survey response rates: a meta-analysis. Public Opin. Q. 57: 62–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, R. L., Ellickson, P. L., Hays, R. D., and McCaffrey, D. F. (2000). Effects of incentive size and timing on response rates to a follow-up of a longitudinal mailed survey. Eval. Rev. 24: 347–363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook, C., Heath, F., and Thompson, R. L. (2000). A meta-analysis of response rates in web-or Internet-based surveys. Educ. Psychol. Meas. 60: 821–836.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cote, L., Grinnell, R., and Tompkins, L. (1986). Increasing response rates to mail surveys: The impact of adherence to Dillman-like procedures and techniques. Rev. Higher Educ. 9: 229–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Couper, M. (2000). Web surveys: A review of issues and approaches. Public Opin. Q. 64: 464–494.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Leeuw, E., and Heer, W. (2002). Trends in household survey nonresponse: A longitudinal and international comparison. In: Groves, R. M., Dillman, D. A., Eltinge, J. L., and Little, R. J. A. (eds.), Survey Nonresponse, John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 41–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dey, E. (1997). Working with low survey response rates: The efficacy of weighting adjustments. Res. Higher Educ. 38: 215–227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dillman, D. A. (2000). Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dillman, D. A., Eltinge, J. L., Groves, R. M., and Little, R. J. A. (2002). Survey nonresponse in design, data collection, and analysis. In: Groves, R. M., Dillman, D. A., Eltinge, J. L., and Little, R. J. A. (eds.), Survey Nonresponse, John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 3–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dillman, D. A., Singer, E., Clark, J. R., and Treat, J. B. (1996). Effects of benefits appeals, mandatory appeals, and variations in statements of confidentiality on completion rates for census questionnaires. Public Opin. Q. 60: 376–389.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, R. J., Crask, M. R., and Kim, J. (1988). Mail survey response rate: A meta-analysis of selected techniques for inducing response. Public Opin. Q. 52: 467–491.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furse, D. H., and Stewart, D. W. (1982). Monetary incentives versus promised contribution to charity: New evidence on mail survey response. J. Mark. Res. 19: 375–380.

    Google Scholar 

  • Golden, L. L., Anderson, W. T., and Sharpe, L. K. (1980). The effects of salutation, monetary incentive, and degree of urbanization on mail questionnaire response rate, speed and quality. In: Monroe, K. B. (ed.), Advances in Consumer Research, Association for Consumer Research, Ann Arbor, MI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grosset, J. (1995). The biasing effects of bad addresses on information gathered by mail surveys. J. Appl. Res. Commun. Coll. 2: 179–191.

    Google Scholar 

  • Groves, R., Cialdini, R., and Couper, M. (1992). Understanding the decision to participate in a survey. Public Opin. Q. 56: 475–495.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heberlein, T. A., and Baumgartner, R. (1978). Factors effecting response rates to mailed questionnaires: A quantitative analysis of the published literature. Am. Sociol. Rev. 43: 447–462.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-King, D., and Kaleta, A. (2000). Learning about social diversity: The undergraduate experience and intergroup tolerance. J. Higher Educ. 71: 142–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins, K. D., and Gullickson, A. R. (1992). Response rates in survey research: A meta-analysis of the effects of monetary gratuities. J. Exp. Educ. 61: 52–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hubbard, R., and Little, E. L. (1988). Promised contributions to charity and mail survey responses: Replication with extension. Public Opin. Q. 52: 223–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, J., and Bolstein, R. (1990). The effect of monetary incentives and follow-up mailings on the response rate and response quality in mail surveys. Public Opin. Q. 54: 346–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, J., and Bolstein, R. (1992). Large monetary incentives and their effect on mail survey response rates. Public Opin. Q. 56: 442–453.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jobber, D., Mirza, H., and Wee, K. H. (1991). Incentives and response rates to crossnational business surveys: A logit model analysis. J. Int. Bus. Stud. 22: 711–721.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jobber, D., and Saunders, J. (1988). Modelling the effects of prepaid monetary incentives on mail survey response. J. Oper. Res. Soc. 39: 365–372.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jobber, D., and Saunders, J. (1989). The prediction of industrial mail-survey response rates. J. Oper. Res. Soc. 40: 839–847.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J. (1996). The effects of non-response on statistical inference. J. Health Soc. Policy 8: 49–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahn, J. K., and Nauta, M. N. (2001). Social-cognitive predictors of first-year persistence: The importance of proximal assessment. Res. Higher Educ. 42: 633–652.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kropf, M. E., Scheib, J., and Blair, J. (1999). The Effect of Alternative Incentives on Cooperation and Refusal Conversion in a Telephone Survey, Survey Research Center, University of Maryland, College Park.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paolillo, J., and Lorenzi, P. (1984). Monetary incentives and mail questionnaire response rates. J. Adver. 13: 46–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pike, G. R. (2000). The influence of fraternity or sorority membership on students' college experiences and cognitive development. Res. Higher Educ. 41: 117–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powers, D. E., and Alderman, D. L. (1982). Feedback as an incentive for responding to a mail questionnaire. Res. Higher Educ. 17: 207–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer, D. R., and Dillman, D. A. (1998). Development of a standard e-mail methodology: Results of an experiment. Public Opin. Q. 62: 378–397.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schiltz, M. (1988). Professional standards for survey research. Res. Higher Educ. 28: 67–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer, E. (2002). The use of incentives to reduce nonresponse in household surveys. In: Groves, R. M., Dillman, D. A., Eltinge, J. L., and Little, R. J. A. (eds.), Survey Nonresponse, John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 163–178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer, E., Groves, R. M., and Corning, A. D. (1999). Differential incentives: Beliefs about practices, perceptions of equity, and effects on survey participation. Public Opin. Q. 63: 251–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer, E., van Hoewyk, J., and Maher, M. P. (1998). Does the payment of incentives create expectation effects? Public Opin. Q. 62: 152–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer, E., van Hoewyk, J., and Maher, M. (2000). Experiments with incentives in telephone surveys. Public Opin. Q. 64: 171–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K., and Bers, T. (1987). Improving alumni survey response rates: An experiment and cost-benefit analysis. Res. Higher Educ. 27: 218–225.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T. (1995). Trends in nonresponse rates. Int. J. Pub. Opin. Res. 7: 157–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steeh, C. G. (1981). Trends in nonresponse rates, 1952–1979. Public Opin. Q. 45: 40–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Umbach, P. D., and Porter, S. R. (2002). How do academic departments impact student satisfaction? Understanding the contextual effects of departments. Res. Higher Educ. 23: 209–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warriner, K., Goyder, J., Gjertsen, H., Hohner, P., and McSpurren, K. (1996). Charities, no; Lotteries, no; Cash, yes: Main effects and interactions in a Canadian incentives experiment. Public Opin. Q. 60: 542–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willimack, D., Schuman, H., Pennell, B., and Lepkowski, J. (1995). Effects of a prepaid nonmonetary incentive on response rates and response quality in a face-to-face survey. Public Opin. Q. 59: 78–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yammarino, F. J., Skinner, S. J., and Childers, T. L. (1991). Understanding mail survey response behavior: A meta-analysis. Public Opin. Q. 55: 613–639.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zanutto, E., and Zaslavsky, A. (2002). Using administrative records to impute for nonresponse. In: Groves, R. M., Dillman, D. A., Eltinge, J. L., and Little, R. J. A. (eds.), Survey Nonresponse, John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 403–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zusman, B. J., and Duby, P. (1987). An evaluation of the use of monetary incentives in postsecondary survey research. J. Res. Dev. Edu. 20(4): 73–78.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wesleyan University, 237 High Street, 322 North College Building, Middletown, CT, 06459

    Stephen R. Porter

  2. Wesleyan University, USA

    Michael E. Whitcomb

Authors
  1. Stephen R. Porter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael E. Whitcomb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen R. Porter.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Porter, S.R., Whitcomb, M.E. The Impact of Lottery Incentives on Student Survey Response Rates. Research in Higher Education 44, 389–407 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024263031800

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024263031800

Search

Navigation