Contacting Strategies and Incentives During the Field Period: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances

• Activity Number: 616
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 7, 2014 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Survey Research Methods Section
• Author(s): Jesse Bricker*+ and Micah R. Sjoblom and Richard Windle
• Companies: Federal Reserve Board and NORC at the University of Chicago and Federal Reserve Board
• Keywords: contacting strategies ; incentives ; paradata

Abstract

In order to maximize participation in the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), the base monetary incentive offer is increased during the field period for many reluctant families. About 25 percent of responding SCF families accepted a monetary incentive that was larger than the $50 base incentive. Though the benefits and costs of offering a base monetary incentive are well-studied, the impact of then offering an increased incentive is less well-known. This paper focuses on how these increased incentive offers influenced participation in the 2013 SCF after factoring in, among other things, how the case had been worked up to that point. The results shown here indicate that the increased incentive offer increased participation for families that are least likely to participate in the survey (as rated by field staff), and amongst families in high-income areas. A high level of data quality is maintained even with increased incentives. Finally, the data shows a burst in participation in the week after the increased incentive offer is made which quickly fades in subsequent weeks.