Measuring What We Spend:

Toward a 

New Consumer Expenditure Survey

Incentives Discussion

Panel on Redesigning the BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys

Don A. Dillman and Carol C. House, Editors Committee on National Statistics

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
Outline

• Short summary on incentives

• Three arbitrary examples to illustrate different 

incentive structure

• Three questions from BLS
General Considerations for Incentives

• Cash

• Prepaid (not for diary completion)

• Most effective at the correct point in the survey 

process

• For surveys with longitudinal components, should 

be used throughout the process

• Differential incentives should be considered

• Larger (e.g., $100+) amounts should be 

considered, especially when intrusive or sustained

• Investigate use of intrinsic incentives
Example 1: Single Incentive to All 

Sample Members

• The National Survey of Drug Use and Health 

introduced a $30 promised incentive in 2002, 

for completing an interview with the selected 

adult

• Experimentally tested $0, $20, and $40

– Substantially higher response rates, highest in $40

– Lower cost per interview in both incentive 

conditions
NHSDA/NSDUH

92.8% 

73.9% 

91.9% 

73.3% 

90.7% 

78.6% 

50% 

55% 

60% 

65% 

70% 

75% 

80% 

85% 

90% 

95% 

100% 

Screener Interview

2000 

2001 

2002 

Data source: Kennet et a., 2005
Example 2: Differential Incentives 

across Sample Members

• National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence 

Survey

• Phase 1: $10 promised incentive

• Phase 2 (subsample of nonrespondents): $40 

incentive
Example 3: Differential Incentives 

across Survey Components and 

Sample Members

• National Survey of Family Growth, cycle 6

• Phase 1 and 2:

– Screener incentive

– Interview incentive

• Phase 3:

– Screener incentive

– Interview incentive
The CE Redesign Options

• Recruitment and interview

• Self administration of the journal with 

detailed expenditure data, over a sustained 

period of time

• Repeated journal administration
Panel Recommendation (6-7) 

A critical element of any CE redesign should be 

the use of incentives. The incentive structure 

should be developed, and tested, based on 

careful consideration of the form, value, and 

frequency of incentives. Serious consideration 

should be given to the use of differential 

incentives based on different levels of burden 

and/or differential response propensities.
Questions

• 1. How dependent are the designs on the incentives? 

 a. We are concerned about getting approval for 

such a large incentive. Does the panel feel that the 

designs would work without an incentive? With an 

approved incentive? 

• 2. Did the panel consider the impact of the incentive on 

the spending behavior during the reference period?

• 3. Does the panel have any recommendations about how 

to test incentives? Can the amounts or procedures be 

tested independently of other design features, or would we 

need to test them in conjunction? 
1. How dependent are the designs 

on the incentives?

• The panel finds incentives to be an essential 

component of the proposed designs

• This is not a typical survey interview task

– Journal for continuous tracking of expenditures

– Numerous expenditures being recorded on a daily 

basis
2. Did the panel consider the impact 

of the incentive on the spending 

behavior during the reference period?

• The impact on expenditures was discussed, 

and the form and timing of the incentives 

need to be carefully considered and tested
3. Does the panel have any recommendations about 

how to test incentives? Can the amounts or 

procedures be tested independently of other design 

features, or ... in conjunction?

• The incentive structure, timing, and amounts 

should be tailored to the particular design

• The panel has provided some general 

differences in the incentive amounts and 

structure across the different design options