How panel members react to multiple requests for additional data over time

Abstract

Over the years, the Understanding Society Innovation Panel has asked respondents to complete various additional data collection tasks. For example, providing hair or blood samples, measuring fingers, consenting to link administrative data, using mobile apps, and completing time use diaries. We examine the cumulative effects of these additional tasks on participation in later tasks and annual interviews. We find no systematic patterns of participation in the multi-modal set of tasks. However, the more tasks individuals were invited to, the less likely they were to participate in the later tasks and the later annual interviews. Therefore, repeatedly inviting individuals to participate in additional tasks has a small detrimental effect on survey panels.