International Journal of Internet Science

A peer reviewed open access journal for empirical findings, methodology, and theory of social and behavioral science concerning the Internet and its implications for individuals, social groups, organizations, and society.

The Interactive Effects of Motivations and Trust in Anonymity on Adolescents' Enduring Participation in Web-Based Social Science Research: A Longitudinal Behavioral Analysis
Barbara Stiglbauer¹, Timo Gnambs², & Manuela Gamsjäger^1
1University of Linz, Austria, ²University of Osnabrück, Germany

Abstract: Based on self-determination and social exchange theory, this study investigates the effects of extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, and trust in anonymity on enduring survey participation over a period of 2 years. Trust in anonymity was expected to act as a moderator between motivations and the likelihood of repeated survey participation. Participants were N = 227 adolescent members of an academic online panel for youth research. Results of longitudinal logistic regression analyses demonstrated a steady decline in the probability of survey participation over time. Extrinsic but not intrinsic motivation significantly increased the probability of initial survey participation, whereas both, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, buffered the declining probability of survey participation over time; however, only if trust in anonymity was comparably low. These results suggest that the beneficial effects of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations on enduring survey participation are especially prevalent if trust in anonymity is of low to medium size.

Keywords: Online panel, participation rate, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, incentives, trust in anonymity, longitudinal

Download full paper