Introducing Adaptive Design Elements in the Panel Study “Labour Market and Social Security” (PASS)

This article gives an overview of adaptive design elements introduced to the PASS panel survey in waves four to seven. The main focus is on experimental interventions in later phases of the fieldwork. These interventions aim at balancing the sample by prioritizing low-propensity sample members. In wave 7, interviewers received a double premium for completion of interviews with low-propensity cases in the final phase of the fieldwork. This premium was restricted to a random half of the cases with low estimated response propensity and no final status after four months of prior fieldwork. This incentive was effective in increasing interviewer effort, however, led to no significant increase in response rates.