Why don’t web survey monitors complete a survey? An analysis of response refusal and discontinuation

Not all participants complete web surveys distributed by web research companies. Some refuse to participate in the survey, whereas others discontinue their responses. This study aimed to examine the extent of similarity in the reasons for refusal and discontinuation among research company monitors, as well as the associations of refusal and discontinuation with demographic information and sense of busyness. In Study 1, data from 500 participants from a research company were analyzed. In Study 2, data from 600 participants from a research company were analyzed. The results showed that a higher distribution of web surveys was associated with a higher response rate, and the importance of the factors of refusal and discontinuation varied across groups. The findings are discussed with reference to the leverage-salience theory.