ad: Survey Motivation - Motivation to Participate in Online Surveys

Study Code

ad

Version and date of last revision

Version 1; October 16, 2025

Study Title

Survey Motivation - Motivation to Participate in Online Surveys

Subject Classification

survey motivation

Keywords

survey motivation, survey attitude, online panel, participant characteristics, survey climate

Data Collection Waves

ka

Principal Investigators

Name(s) and affiliations of principal

investigators at time of submission

Persistent digital identifier(s) of principal

investigator(s)
Anna Hebel, GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5018-8588

Abstract

The steady decline in response rates for large-scale surveys has intensified the need to understand the factors driving individuals to participate. This study focuses on examining the survey motivation of respondents recruited via social media platforms, an increasingly popular yet understudied sampling method. By adapting the Survey Participation Inventory (SPI) to the unique characteristics of this sample, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of the specific motivational drivers that sustain participation rates in this context.

The SPI originally identifies eight distinct survey motivations. However, through a preliminary analysis tailored to the social media-recruited sample, we found that only five of these motivations were particularly relevant: giving opinions, receiving incentives, helping society, enjoying the survey process, and contributing to scientific research. This refined approach not only enhances the accuracy of our findings but also allows us to focus on the most impactful motivational factors within this demographic.

Moreover, the study expands on the traditional SPI framework by incorporating distinctions between motivations related to helping society and those related to contributing to science, as highlighted in the recent work of Haensch et al. (2022). This nuanced differentiation provides deeper insights into how social media users perceive their role in societal and scientific endeavors, potentially informing more targeted and effective strategies for survey engagement.

Measured constructs/concepts and corresponding data collection waves

Constructs/concepts Corresponding indicators (survey measures) Data Collection Waves
Survey Motivation

Im Folgenden möchten wir wissen, aus welchen Gründen Sie an Umfragen teilnehmen. Inwieweit treffen die folgenden Aussagen auf Sie zu? Ich nehme an Umfragen teil, ...
In the following, we would like to know why you participate in surveys. To what extent do the following statements apply to you? I take part in surveys ...

Q: ... weil es mir wichtig ist, die Gesellschaft zu unterstützen.
R:
  • Trifft überhaupt nicht zu
  • Trifft eher nicht zu
  • Teils, teils
  • Trifft eher zu
  • Trifft voll und ganz zu
Q: ... because it is important to me to support society.
R:
  • Does not apply at all
  • Rather not applicable
  • Partly, partly
  • Rather applicable
  • Fully applicable
Q: ... weil es mir wichtig ist, die Wissenschaft zu unterstützen.
R:
  • Trifft überhaupt nicht zu
  • Trifft eher nicht zu
  • Teils, teils
  • Trifft eher zu
  • Trifft voll und ganz zu
Q: ... because it is important to me to support science.
R:
  • Does not apply at all
  • Rather not applicable
  • Partly, partly
  • Rather applicable
  • Fully applicable
Q: ... weil es mir wichtig ist, meine Meinung zu sagen.
R:
  • Trifft überhaupt nicht zu
  • Trifft eher nicht zu
  • Teils, teils
  • Trifft eher zu
  • Trifft voll und ganz zu
Q: ... because it's important to me to speak my mind.
R:
  • Does not apply at all
  • Rather not applicable
  • Partly, partly
  • Rather applicable
  • Fully applicable
Q: ... weil ich eine Prämie oder eine Belohnung für meine Teilnahme bekomme.
R:
  • Trifft überhaupt nicht zu
  • Trifft eher nicht zu
  • Teils, teils
  • Trifft eher zu
  • Trifft voll und ganz zu
Q: ... because I receive a bonus or reward for my participation.
R:
  • Does not apply at all
  • Rather not applicable
  • Partly, partly
  • Rather applicable
  • Fully applicable
Q: ... weil mir die Teilnahme an Umfragen Spaß macht.
R:
  • Trifft überhaupt nicht zu
  • Trifft eher nicht zu
  • Teils, teils
  • Trifft eher zu
  • Trifft voll und ganz zu
Q: ... because I enjoy taking part in surveys.
R:
  • Does not apply at all
  • Rather not applicable
  • Partly, partly
  • Rather applicable
  • Fully applicable
 		ka

References

Brüggen, E., Wetzels, M., De Ruyter, K., & Schillewaert, N. (2011). Individual differences in motivation to participate in online panels: The effect on response rate and response quality perceptions. International Journal of Market Research, 53(3), 369–390. https://doi.org/10.2501/IJMR-53-3-369-390
Haensch, A.-C., Weiß, B., Steins, P., Chyrva, P., & Bitz, K. (2022). The semi-automatic classification of an open-ended question on panel survey motivation and its application in attrition analysis. Frontiers in Big Data, 5, 880554. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdata.2022.880554
Silber, H., Moy, P., Johnson, T. P., Neumann, R., Stadtmüller, S., & Repke, L. (2022). Survey participation as a function of democratic engagement, trust in institutions, and perceptions of surveys. Social Science Quarterly, 103, 1619–1632. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13218
Silber, H., Stadtmüller, S., & Cernat, A. (2023). Comparing participation motives of professional and non-professional respondents. International Journal of Market Research, 65(4), 361–372. https://doi.org/10.1177/14707853231166882