title: The effect of a college pen incentive on survey response rate among recent college graduates.
abstract: Incentives have shown a variable effect in improving survey response rates, but the effect of a pen from an organization to which the respondent has loyalty has not been studied. Recent college graduates were randomized to receive or not receive a college logo pen accompanying an initial survey mailing. Among 119 total respondents, there were no differences in response rate to the initial mailing, to a second mailing to nonrespondents who did not receive a pen in the initial mailing, or in total response rate. Investigators may save money by not including a pen incentive or may consider stronger incentives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. jstange@temple.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Stange
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Zyzanski
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003625:Data Collection / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012107:Research Design; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult