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The relative efficacy of two types of incentives for producing responses to a mail survey was investigated. Personal cash payments of varying amounts enclosed with the questionnaire were compared with promises of a contribution to a charity of the respondent's choice and with a no-incentive control. Contrary to a previous research finding reported in the literature, the charity incentive did not produce a significantly greater return rate than was obtained with the no-incentive control. Personal cash incentives produced a significantly greater response rate than either the no-incentive control condition or the charity-incentive condition. Results of the study are interpreted as consistent with a cognitive dissonance theory of mail questionnaire response.

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Despite the large amount of research on mail questionnaires, there has been little effort toward the development of a questionnaire response theory that might guide the design of mail survey research. The authors conceptualize mail questionnaire response as a series of responses to a set of stimuli rather than a single decision to respond or not respond. A review of the mail survey response literature is provided and cognitive dissonance theory is used to explain why particular techniques are effective. Four types of nonrespondents are identified and suggestions are provided for the use of incentives, prenotification, follow‐up contacts, type of postage, and cover letter treatments.

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