The Effects of Incentives and Research Requirements on Participation Rates for a Community-Based Preventive Intervention Research Study

This investigation utilized prospective survey data to examine the influence of a research incentive ($100) and requirement (videotaping) on decisions to participate in prevention research. Individuals were significantly attracted by the incentive, and marginally deterred by the requirement. Interaction analyses revealed that the positive incentive effect was stronger among prospective participants with less education and who were otherwise less likely to participate. These findings indicate that monetary incentives can be useful for increasing participation rates, and may help reduce sampling bias by increasing rates most strongly among individuals who are typically less likely to take part in research projects.