“Yes/No/Not Right Now”: Yes/No Response Formats Can Increase Response Rates Even in Non-Forced-Choice Settings

Although yes/no response formats have been used to increase enrollment rates in several different types of programs, their effectiveness has generally been tested in forced-choice settings. The effects on postchoice engagement have not been measured. Across two field experiments in an e-mail context in which choice is not forced, the authors demonstrate a substantial advantage in click-through rates for a yes/no response format over traditional opt-in response formats. The increase in click-through rate does, under certain conditions, also persist through downstream program enrollment and participation. Finally, though noting that the yes/no format advantage is probably multidetermined, the authors discuss several potential psychological mechanisms, which are particularly relevant in non-forced-choice settings. The authors also discuss how the yes/no response format might operate in other settings, such as the implementation of mandated choice for organ donation.

• 저널Journal of Marketing Research · 53(3) · 424–432
• 토픽Behavioral Health and Interventions · Applied Psychology
• DOI10.1509/jmr.14.0227
• 저자Eleanor Putnam-Farr, Jason Riis