Validation of the Voluntary Participation in Online Surveys Scale

Abstract

A comprehensive understanding of participants' motives to complete web-based surveys has the potential to improve dataquality. In this study we tested the construct validity of a scale developed to measure motivation to participate in webbasedsurveys. We expected that 7 different motivations observed in our previous study will form a 3-factor structure, aspredicted by Self-Determination Theory. This web-based questionnaire study comprised 257 participants completing theVoluntary Participation in Online Studies Scale. Their responses to 21 items underwent a principal component analysisand confi rmatory factor analysis. As we expected, three factors were identifi ed: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivationand amotivation. In line with Self-Determination Theory there are three distinct groups of motives among web-surveysparticipants with amotivation as an understudied motivational state. We discuss the results suggesting which types ofmotivation might lead to higher quality of data with an emphasis on possible negative effects of amotivation.