The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of a time-cue technique on time perception and subsequently on response behavior. Time perception is manipulated by changing time cues on the cover letter. Results show that perceived short completion time stimulates a heavier, more immediate response but does not produce noticeable changes in response quality and bias. Findings suggest that response behavior can be improved by manipulating conditions that facilitate “short” time perception.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AllanLorraine G. (1979), “The Perception of Time,”Perception and Psychophysics, 26 (5), 340–54.
2.
AllanLorraine G. and KristoffersonA. G. (1974), “Psychophysical Theories of Duration Discrimination,”Perception and Psychophysics, 16, 26–34.
3.
BerdieDouglas R. (1973), “Questionnaire Length and Response Rate,”Journal of Applied Psychology, 58, 278–80.
4.
CannellCharles F. (1977), “A Summary of Studies of Interviewing Methodology,”Vital and Health Statistics, PHS Publication, No-1000, Series 2. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
5.
ChampionDean and SearAlan M. (1969), “Questionnaire Response Rate: A Methodological Analysis,”Social Forces, 47, 335–9.
6.
ChildersTerry L. and FerrellO. C. (1979), “Response Rate and Perceived Questionnaire Length in Mail Surveys,”Journal of Marketing Research, 16 (August), 429–31.
7.
CottleThomas J. (1976), Perceiving Time: A Psychological Investigation with Men and Women. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
8.
CrawfordC. Merle (1970), “Attitudes of Marketing Executives Toward Ethics in Marketing Research,”Journal of Marketing, 34, 46–52.
9.
DuncanJ. (1979), “Mail Questionnaires in Survey Research: A Review of Response Inducement Techniques,”Journal of Management, 5, 39–55.
10.
GoodmanLeo A. (1961), “Modifications of the Dorn-Stauffer-Tibbits Method for Testing the Significance of Comparisons on Sociological Data,”American Journal of Sociology, 66, 355–63.
11.
GrovesRobert M. (1978), “On the Mode of Administering a Questionnaire and Responses to Open-Ended Items,”Social Science Research, 7, 257–71.
12.
GuilfordJ. P. and FruchterB. (1973), Fundamental Statistics in Psychology, 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
13.
HacklerJames G. and BourgettePatricia P. (1973), “Dollars, Dissonance, and Survey Returns,”Public Opinion Quarterly, 37, 276–81.
14.
HansenRobert A. (1980), “A Self-Perception Interpretation of the Effect of Monetary and Nonmonetary Incentives on Mail Survey Respondent Behavior,”Journal of Marketing Research, 17 (February), 77–83.
15.
HollanderSidney (1974), “Ethics in Marketing Research,” in Handbook of Marketing Research, FerberRobert, ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1/107–1/127.
16.
HoustonMichael J. and FordNeil M. (1976), “Broadening the Scope of Methodological Research or Mail Surveys,”Journal of Marketing Research, 13 (November), 397–3.
17.
HoustonMichael J. and NevinJ. R. (1977), “The Effects of Source and Appeal on Mail Survey Response Pattern,”Journal of Marketing Research, 14 (August), 374–8.
18.
JanssensDaniel and PessemierEdgar A. (1980), “Response Rates in Mail Surveys: A Review and Survey,”Paper No. 714, Krannert Graduate School of Management, Purdue University.
19.
LaurentA. (1972), “Effects of Question Length on Reporting Behavior in the Survey Interview,”Journal of the American Statistical Association, 67, 298–305.
20.
LinskyArnold S. (1975), “Stimulating Responses to Mail Questionnaires: A Review,”Public Opinion Quarterly, 39, 82–101.
21.
ReingenPeter H. and KernanJerome B. (1977), “Compliance with an Interview Request: A Foot-in-the-Door, Self-Perception Interpretation,”Journal of Marketing Research, 14 (August), 365–9.
22.
ScottChristopher (1961), “Research on Mail Surveys,”Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 124 (2), Series A, 143–205.
23.
ShethJagdish N. and RoscoeMarvin A. (1975), “Impact of Questionnaire Length, Follow-up Methods, and Geographical Location on Response Rate to a Mail Survey,”Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, 252–4.
24.
ThomasEwart A. and WeaverWanda B. (1975), “Cognitive Processing and Time Perception,”Perception and Psychophysics, 17 (4), 363–7.