Effects of Introductions in Large-Scale Telephone Survey Interviews

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Abstract
In this article, the effect of four different introductions on response rates in large-scale telephone surveys in the Netherlands in investigated. Three standardized scripted introductions with different numbers of content elements, in addition to a fourth agendabased introduction, were distinguished. In the latter, the interviewers formulated their own introductions on the basis of a limited number of catchwords. A total of 1,831 first telephone calls by 132 interviewers were analyzed; only first calls were taken into account. In a multilevel model, the three standardized scripted introductions did not differ much with respect to response rates, appointment rates, or refusal rates. However, the agenda-based introduction induced both higher response rates and higher appointment rates and, therefore, lower refusal rates.

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