Further Evidence on Using a Deadline to Stimulate Responses to a Mail Survey

J. Henley (see SA 25:4/77I7389) reported that in mail surveys a deadline will increase the early return rate but that this effect is lost as the deadline draws near. In 1975, a systematic sample of dentists -- stratified for geographic area & based on the membership file of the American Dental Assoc (N = 1,190) -- was divided into eight groups. These were differentiated on the basis of two levels of: personalization, appeal, & deadlines. For initial returns the response rate was higher with deadlines than without deadlines. This was also true of the first follow-up letter sent. The highest overall response rate was for the group using a personalized salutation, a deadline, & no social appeal (42.6%). The attenuation noted by Henley in the final response rates was also observed. 1 Table. M. Migalski.