Final answer:
An interactive voice response system enables Internet users to initiate a predictive dialer through clickable links, often used in CATI and robo-polls for surveys. These systems have improved communication and survey processes but face challenges due to data accuracy and legal restrictions.
Step-by-step explanation:
An interactive voice response (IVR) system allows someone browsing the Internet to click on words or phrases which triggers a predictive dialing system. This technology is often utilized in the sphere of computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) or robo-polls. Interactive voice response systems are able to dial random telephone numbers and either connect the potential respondent to a live interviewer or deliver a prerecorded survey autonomously.
While CATI systems leverage live interviewers to record responses directly into a computer program, robo-polls use prerecorded voices to guide respondents through a survey. Despite the efficiency of these systems, they are subject to data reliability and validity issues due to the potential for incorrect entries or misinterpretations of questions. Furthermore, legislative measures like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act have created obstacles for automated calls, especially to mobile devices.
From the 1980s onward, advances in communication technology, such as bulletin board systems, have paved the way for modern web-based and telephonic systems. These systems now face new challenges, adapting to shifts in phone usage and the legislative landscape affecting telecommunication.