Respondent incentives in social surveys: an overview of recent experiences and findings

Respondent incentives are an element of survey methodology that are shown to impact response rates and selected aspects of survey quality. They are becoming more and more commonly used to counteract the growing reluctance of individuals to respond to surveys. There are different types of incentives, including monetary and non-monetary and conditional or unconditional ones (provided only if a person takes part in the survey or regardless of the person’s participation, respectively). The monetary value of the incentive may also differ depending on the survey’s budget, and the individual needs and expectations of a respondent. It was proven that different incentives have various effects, but there is no single and optimal recommendation as to which type of incentive should be used. The results depend not only on the incentives themselves, but also on such survey characteristics as the topic, survey mode, target population, the length of the survey or the time when the fieldwork was conducted. The aim of the article is to review the general state of knowledge about the above-mentioned aspects concerning the use of incentives in social surveys, both in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Special attention is paid to the effects of incentives on the response rate, the quality of answers and the sample composition. Additionally, ethical considerations and Polish experiences in the use of incentives are discussed. This article may help survey methodologists in deciding on the optimal type and way of using respondent incentives.