Dynamics of participating in video survey interviews

Survey researchers have begun to explore how to use video technology for conducting survey interviews. This study investigates the factors that affect participating, i.e., starting and completing, two types of video survey interviews, those conducted live by a human interviewer and those implemented as a web survey in which a video recording of an interviewer asking questions has been embedded and compares outcomes in those modes to outcomes from a conventional text-based web survey. We invited sample members to participate in either 1) a live video interview, 2) a prerecorded video interview, or 3) a conventional text-based web survey, recruiting them from two different opt-in (non-probability) sample sources. To participate in a live video interview, sample members were required to schedule the interview and show up at the appointed time. The need to schedule and show up created an obstacle to starting the interview, especially for those used to text-based web surveys which can be started by clicking a link when convenient. The results indicate that, of those invited to a live video interview, about 10% scheduled an appointment although this differed substantially by sample source. Of those who scheduled an interview about half showed up to start it. Once these sample members started the live video interview, almost all finished it. In contrast, sample members from prerecorded video interviews broke off at much higher rates than from live video interviews and from a conventional, text-based web survey. This was especially true for respondents used to conventional web surveys. This article discusses implications and recommendations for how researchers might increase participation for both types of video interviews, and adapt them to the population being studied.