The Effects of Framing the Survey Request and Using Targeted Appeals on Participation in Cross-sectional Surveys

Bibliographic Data

ID2407704
AuthorsHafsteinn Einarsson (0000-0001-9623-487X, University of Iceland, corresponding author), Alexandru Cernat (0000-0001-6007-7825, University of Manchester), Alex Cernat (0000-0003-2176-1215, University of Manchester), Natalie Shlomo (0000-0003-0701-5080, University of Manchester)
Year2024
Volume36
Issue3
Pages187-205
Publication date2024-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCAM (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1087-8513 • E-ISSN: 1552-3969
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1525822x231188593
OpenAlexW4384525342
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited16

The presentation of survey requests represents an easily modifiable feature of survey communications that can in some contexts affect response propensities. Here, we examine how two features: the framing of the participation request (informed by prospect theory) and the inclusion of targeted appeals based on demographic background (age or electoral district), affect participation rates in the 2021 Icelandic National Election Study, a mixed-mode cross-sectional survey. We find that these features generally fail to affect response propensities and sample composition. However, framed requests produced marginally higher response rates for a subset of the sample that was invited to complete the survey online. This suggests that modifying the presentation of the survey request may be less effective in cross-sectional surveys than in longitudinal ones, where more information is available to inform the content of targeted messages

Affect (linguistics) · Framing (construction) · Framing effect · Geography · Perception · Statistics · Survey data collection · Health disparities and outcomes · Healthcare Policy and Management · Psychology · Social Psychology · Survey Methodology and Nonresponse

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