Abstract

All types of survey research are increasingly plagued by high nonresponse rates. In this article the interaction between the interviewer and the recipient is regarded as crucial to the explanation of (non)response. Earlier research indicated the relevance of interviewer tactics labeled 'tailoring' and 'maintaining interaction'. Application of these tactics should lead to a higher likelihood of the recipient accepting the request to participate in the survey. When using these tactics, one should take into account that most recipients will process the request in a peripheral or heuristic manner. One heuristic is to count the number of arguments used in the message. More arguments are believed to be more persuasive than fewer arguments, regardless of their intrinsic value. This led to the hypothesis that the odds of gaining cooperation should increase as the interviewer utters more arguments than the recipient. The data confirmed the supposition when taking into account the nature of the arguments.

How to Cite:

Heerwegh, D., (2000) “Overtuigingsstrategieën in telefonische surveys”, Tijdschrift voor Sociologie 21(4), 383–406. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/sociologos.86512